


From Where We Began

by RunningInThePouringRain



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Canon Rewrite, Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Depression, Falling In Love, Fix-It, Fluff, Guilt, Iron Man 3, M/M, Post-Endgame, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Steve Rogers, Sex, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Stony - Freeform, Team as Family, Time Travel, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-09-27 03:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 42,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20401069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RunningInThePouringRain/pseuds/RunningInThePouringRain
Summary: When Steve returns the stones he knows he is going to stay in 2012. This is the only chance he has. He can do better there. He knows what he needs to change so when Thanos comes, he and Tony are standing side by side. The only thing he didn't plan on was confronting his own feelings for Tony Stark.(Or the fix it fic where Steve arrives in 2012 and tries to rewrite MCU canon in order to save Tony Stark).





	1. Chapter 1

There were some things Steve knew he’d never forget, some things that were so ingrained into his mind that no amount of time would erase them. The way his mother smelt, spiced vanilla from her perfume and a hint of disinfectant that she carried with her from the hospital. The first time he saw his reflection after becoming Captain America, that odd jarring experience that his body didn’t feel like his. That look that Bucky gave him when Steve called his name for the first time in this century, that blank resolve that reduced everything they once shared to nothing.

And the way Tony’s lifeless body felt in his arms as he carried him off the battlefield when it was meant to be a victory.

It wasn’t.

The smell of charred flesh burned his nose and his eyes stung with tears. He remembered thinking he was getting blood on Tony, tainting him as Steve’s forearm oozed sluggishly and made his grip on the Iron Man armour slippery. Steve held tight though, keep his head forward. He couldn’t look down; he couldn’t bear to see Tony in his arms and be reminded of the price they paid for this win.

Tony was too heavy in his arms, too still. His head like a weight on Steve’s chest that made it hard to breath. He’d give every breath he had if it meant Tony was alive. It shouldn’t have been this way. Not like this.

Steve had been too proud, too selfish. He knew that now. He had done everything wrong and it had cost Tony his life. It had cost Morgan her father and Pepper her husband and Steve couldn’t even find the strength to look down at the body in his arms without crumbling to the ground.

He should have done more.

“Steve?” It was Bucky’s voice, pulling him out of his thoughts with a worried expression, “You alright?”

Steve wanted to laugh at the question, but he held it back. Bucky was only trying to help. The fact that he had come to Tony’s funeral meant the world to Steve and he knew Bucky was dealing with his own guilt without any of Steve’s adding to the mix. He looked over at his best friend, those lost sad eyes that had seen too much. The metal arm that he knew Bucky hated, a reminder of every horror he had committed whether he wanted to or not.

He was still waiting for an answer. Steve didn’t have one. He gripped Bucky’s arm good, pulling him in for a hug. This was another person Steve had failed. Another person he’d let down. Bucky hugged him back, his grip strong and sure. He always had more faith in Steve than Steve had in himself.

He needed to go; Bruce was waiting with Sam to send him back to return the stones to their original timelines. He squeezed Bucky one more time, trying to remember a time when Bucky was the stronger one in their hugs. Steve pulled back to look at him, the wind blowing Bucky’s hair across his face as he dug his hands into the pockets of his coat.

“I’m going to miss you, Buck.” Steve told him softly, his eyes sad and his chest heavy.

Bucky frowned and Steve could see the wheels of his head turning, “It’ll only be a few minutes for us.” Steve looked down, not wanting Bucky to see the guilt behind his eyes. It was Bucky though, so he saw it anyway, “Won’t it?”

Steve sighed, “Might be a bit longer than that if things go the way I’m planning.”

Bucky Barnes, sharp as a tac and never one to take his bullshit, he knew instantly what Steve was planning, “You’re not coming back.”

“I can’t, Buck.” Steve insisted, “This isn’t winning. This isn’t a world I wanted to live in.”

“Peggy?” Bucky almost sounded hopeful, and maybe he’d get it if Steve lied and told him that story. The one where he went back to Peggy and lived a life. Maybe Bucky would be happy for him, for the chance at a normal life Steve was chasing.

Steve’s silence was all the answer his best friend needed.

“Oh.” Bucky replied, “Him.”

Steve’s eyes left the ground, “He shouldn’t have died, Bucky. I should have been there. I was meant to be there. I could have…”

“You go to hell and back for the people you love, Steve. You always have so if you tell me you need to do this then okay, you need to do this.” Bucky replied and Steve could see the effort it took him to say it.

He sighed sadly, “Will you be alright?”

“I’ll adapt.” Bucky shrugged, “Knowing you’re still trying to do good in some version of the timeline.”

“Stay with Sam. He’s good.”

Bucky huffed, “He’s a punk.”

“So was I.” Steve laughed.

“Are you sure about this?” Bucky asked, “You start changing things and it might end up becoming a worse world than this one.”

Steve nodded, “I’ve thought about it. A lot. Everything that needs to change, everything we did wrong.” He tugged at his gloves purely for the distraction, “I can’t accept that he’s dead, Buck. I just… can’t.” His chest was aching again, like a punch to his sternum in slow motion. Bucky must have been able to sense it.

“Then don’t accept it. Change it.”

And just like that Bucky was putting aside his own guilt for Steve to be able to leave. He was letting Steve go knowing that he’d be okay without him. Bucky had always been a more selfless man than he had, it didn’t matter who wore the uniform.

With Bucky’s blessing and Sam’s faith he left his timeline behind, he didn’t belong there anymore. Maybe he never really did. After all, it wasn’t the first time he’d been a man out of time.

-

Returning the stones had been surprisingly easy, like the universe was trying to correct itself from the disruption they had caused it. Vormir had been the worst, offering up that gem on the very cliff that Natasha had stood when she gave up her life. He didn’t get her back, a part of him was hoping but the sacrifice had already been made.

_“We have what we have when we have it.”_

Natasha had told him that once, she had been trying to comfort him then, but it didn’t comfort him now. He’d do better this time, he made himself that promise standing on a cliff edge with the whisper of his friend’s voice in his ear, this time he’d do it right. For her, for Tony. Whatever it takes.

We have what we have when we have it.

And Steve didn’t realise how important that had been until it was too late. Until it was already gone. He wanted to rage, standing on an alien planet in the last place his friend was seen alive. He wanted to yell into the void before him because this wasn’t right or fair. He wanted to plead that they should take him instead. The air tasted stale and his chest heaved, and all Steve could do was stare blankly into the drop with a clenched jaw and try not to think about Natasha falling. It didn’t work. That list of people he failed just seemed to be getting longer.

He set his coordinates for New York 2012. His last stop.

The end of the line.

The beginning of the path.

Dropping off the stones went smoothly but once it was done Steve found himself stopping. It was warm in New York, the sun high in the sky. He checked the paper on the bench nearby that was left abandoned in someone’s rush to leave. He took in the date, making sure he was right. This was the day the Avengers parted ways after the Battle of New York. Tony would go back to rebuilding his tower, Thor would take Loki to Asgard. Natasha and Clint would be heading back to shield. Bruce was heading for some retreat in Africa and the 2012 version of himself would be heading off to see more of America before returning to New York and signing up with Shield.

He was back.

Tony was alive here. Nat was alive. Bruce was his old self and Thor wasn’t yet haunted by the loss of his people.

Steve knew what he needed to do, he just hoped he would get there in time.

Two Captain America’s in the timeline would be confusing and there was no way he’d be able to change anything with his younger self around. This Steve was too lost in this time, too arrogant to admit he needed help and too stubborn to let people in. In short, he needed to go.

And Steve had a plan for that.

He waited until the Avengers were saying their goodbyes, watching as Tony and Bruce sped away closely followed by Nat and Clint. He was the last one left, checking his bike before he headed south… or was it north? Steve couldn’t remember now.

His younger self climbed onto the bike, pulling at the clutch to kick off. That was his chance. Steve stepped out in front of his own bike, hands raised and his bones aching. His younger self was shocked, large eyes watching Steve before narrowing angrily.

“Loki.” He almost growled and Steve saw his knuckles go white around the bike handles.

“I’m still not Loki.” Steve replied calmly, thankful he had the shield and his younger self didn’t, “And I just want to talk.”

His younger self nudged the kickstand back down and swung his leg off the bike, “I don’t know how you got that shield, but it doesn’t belong to you.”

_That shield doesn’t belong to you. My father made that shield. _

_He made it for you._

“Yes, it does.” Steve replied, “Because I’m you. I’m from 2023 and I need you to trust me.”

“Not going to happen.”

His younger self barrelled into him without a second thought and the force made them both hit the ground. 2012 Steve was faster, he had the edge of a Steve that wasn’t weighed down by everything that had happened, but Steve was determined. This was his chance to do it right, to save Tony and Natasha and he wasn’t about to let anyone stand in his way. Not even himself.

He hit the ground hard, his back aching from the impact of the concrete and his younger self already on top of him trying to get an arm across his windpipe. He was still in his suit; it was ripped and dirty from the fight with Thanos and he knew exactly where a patch of Tony’s blood had soaked into the material. Left side, about three inches from his heart as he carried Tony home. The shield was strapped to his back and currently trapped under his body and his younger self clearly wasn’t holding back.

So, neither would Steve.

He kicked a leg out managing to push his knee into his counterpart’s side. It seemed to knock the wind out of 2012 Steve as he sucked in a breath and his arm on Steve’s throat loosened a fraction. A fraction was all he needed. Steve brought his head up, knocking into his other self hard. It dazed them both but Steve recovered quickly and managed to flip them over, bodily throwing his younger self off him to reverse their positions.

2012 Steve grunted at the action as Steve used his legs to pin down the man’s arms. He reached for the shield on his back and the same time his younger self managed to get an arm free. He swung at Steve but the shield took the force of the impact. That only seemed to make his younger self angrier. He started thrashing about, trying the throw Steve off him. A move that might have worked if Steve hadn’t been benching 180 pounds easily.

He brought the shield down flat, so it acted like a barrier between them. The metal absorbing most of the struggling impact of 2012 Steve as Steve held it firmly over him.

“Just stop.” Steve gritted out, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

His younger self was more stubborn then he remembered, “Because you’re from the future?” It was meant to be snark, all bitter and laughable but from where Steve was sitting there wasn’t anything to laugh about. He pushed the shield down further.

“I can prove it, if you’ll let me.” Steve replied, “I’m the one you fought in the tower. I told you Bucky was alive. I’m trying to help you.”

The mention of Bucky’s name caused his younger self to stop fighting. His eyes curious and hopeful as his body relaxed under the weight of the shield. Steve stayed where he was, not about to walk right into a trap. He knew Bucky’s name would do it though, just like it had before. This Steve from 2012 was fresh out of the ice. He was adrift in a different way to Steve was. He hadn’t yet found a home with the Avengers; he was still yearning for the old one.

“Bucky.” His younger self said. “He fell.”

Steve nodded, “He did. He survived; Hydra got him and over the next 70 years they turned him into something else. Something he never should have been.”

“You know where he is?” It was a loaded question because of course Steve didn’t know where Bucky was. Not in 2012.

“I know where he was.” He replied gently and his younger self raised an eyebrow.

Steve shifted, his arm aching from the force of keeping the shield down. His younger self scoffed, “How does that help?”

He looked down then, really looked at his younger self. This man who was so lost in a time he knew nothing about and still dreamt of home. He had less worry lines then Steve, his shoulders weren’t as tense, and his eyes weren’t haunted by the things Steve knew would come to pass if he didn’t stop them. Was this another person he had failed? The man out of time that was closer to the man he had been in the 40s than Steve had been for a very long time.

Steve sighed, getting to his feet and taking the shield with him. He stood patiently, waiting for his younger self to get up as well. His own eyes were piercing into his skull for an explanation.

“In 1946 Hydra experiments on Bucky, they wait for the heat of the war to die down and they start to build their own super soldier in Russia. What happens after, that isn’t Bucky anymore, he won’t be Bucky for a long time.” Steve explained, “In my timeline I failed him. I didn’t get to him until 2014 and by then most of the damage was done. He remembers who he is, but he can’t forget what he’s done.”

His younger self nodded, “The ultimate Hydra weapon.”

“You can save him, and you can go home.” Steve replied, the weight of the words settling in his younger self’s chest.

“How?”

Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out Tony’s time travel device, “With this.” He offered it to his younger self like a band-aid. In many ways, he supposed it was.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a time machine.” Steve smiled, thinking about Tony’s excited face at inventing it, “It’s got one journey left. Take it,” He pushed it into 2012 Steve’s hands, “Go back to the 40s, find Bucky and save him. Hell, find Peggy and give her a dance if that’s what makes you happy.”

His younger self cradled the device in his palms and Steve understood. This was a lifeline. A second chance. A way back. There was a time Steve would have jumped at the chance, but he had been a different man back then. He had wanted different things. The same things the man in front of him still wanted.

“If I take this then how do you get back?” His younger self asked.

Steve smiled then, “I’m not going back. Not to my time or to the 40s. I’m staying here, there are things here I need to change.”

“You don’t want to go home?” His counterpart questioned and Steve could see the confusion on his face.

He scrubbed a hand over his jaw, gesturing about him, “This is home. For me anyway. But it’s not for you, not yet. If we do this right, we can people save a lot of people.”

“How can I trust you?” His younger self asked.

Steve had thought about that as well. He reached back into his pocket and pulled out the compass. It was a familiar weight in his palm, a reminder of the man he once was and had left behind. He offered that to him as well. 2012 Steve took it, opening it up to see Peggy’s picture staring back at him. The same compass he had on him somewhere as well.

“We’re the same person.” Steve insisted, “Or maybe we’re not. Not anymore. But this is a chance for you to get home. I’ve got this time, trust me. You can take that one.”

His younger self frowned, “You carry her picture, you don’t want to see her?”

“I carry her picture to remind me to be better. To do better. She’s the standard I try to measure up to. But for you, she’s more than that. Maybe it will work, the two of you. Maybe it won’t. But that’s not what I want anymore. It hasn’t been for a long time.” Steve explained, “This is your second chance, don’t roll the dice on it.” They were Tony’s words but the weight they carried was for both of them.

His younger self nodded, “Russia.”

“It won’t be easy.” He warned gently but he could see the excitement brimming in his counterpart’s frame.

“It’s Bucky.” And it really was that simple for him. Steve envied him that, a man who wouldn’t be torn between protecting Bucky and protecting Tony. A man who wouldn’t be torn apart by his actions or his choices.

“That’s why I know you’ll save him.” Steve responded with a smile, “I just need one more thing before you go.”

His younger self raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“The bike.”

-

It was dark out by the time Steve pulled the bike up to Stark Tower, he stopped to change clothes at a store on his way after seeing his younger self off. He had peeled the bloody suit from his body and shoved into his newly brought backpack before slipping into jeans and a shirt that he hoped made him look a little bit more natural than he felt. The shield was still with him though, strapped to the back of the bike in the hopes no one would recognise it as he sped towards Tony’s home.

The tower was lit up like a Christmas tree and Steve knew he’d be there. Alive. Breathing.

He got off the bike, grabbed his bag and the shield and headed inside. He was the only Steve in this time now his younger self was back in the 40s and he wondered whether he should assume that life. Pretend he was the Steve from 2012, try and get Tony to trust him again and stop everything that might cause their downfall. He wasn’t sure whether he could do it, pretend he hadn’t seen what he had or lost the things he’d lost. Would Tony know? Would he guess Steve wasn’t quite right, that he looked a little older or his hair was a little longer.

Could he do it? Lie to Tony and the others when lying is what got them here in the first place?

The elevator doors opened onto Tony’s living space; Jarvis having given him automatic access because the AI thought he was 2012 Steve. The tower was just like he remembered when they had all lived there before moving to the compound. It was sleek and spacious with Tony’s custom-made built-in bar in the corner and floor to ceiling windows along on side. It even smelt the same, coffee and something spicy mixed together. A warm smell, Steve instantly felt his shoulders sag.

“Capiscle?” That voice. Rough and slightly shocked but he’d know it anywhere.

Steve stepped off the elevator to see Tony rounding the corner. And it was Tony, alive and glorious in his faded band t-shirt and jeans. No grey in his hair here and less wrinkles around his eyes. Steve felt his chest go tight; Tony was here. He was standing and talking and God, he looked tired. He also looked lighter. He wasn’t carrying the hate, or the burdens 2023 Tony had. He was beautiful.

“Tony?” His name fell from Steve’s lips without him really processing he’d done it. It felt good to say.

Tony stopped in front of him, eyeing him up worriedly, “Uh Cap, everything okay? Did you forget something? I thought you’d be heading out on your road trip by now.”

Steve couldn’t form a sentence. Those eyes, warm and brown and full of life. That furrow in his brow when presented with a puzzle he hadn’t solved yet, “Tony.” Steve breathed his name again, that same thrill at saying it shot through him.

Tony frowned, “Last time I checked.” He cocked his head to the side, “J, check for injuries, head trauma maybe?”

“I’m fine. I just…”

Jarvis cut him off. “Captain Rogers has no head injury as far as I can tell. An elevated heart rate and a rapid pulse are detected though, Sir.”

Tony nodded, seemingly happy with the answer, “Cap?” He was waiting for Steve to say something. Anything. Those eyes boring into him with a gentle insistence.

Steve tried. Really, he did. The words kept churning around in his head, but he couldn’t make them form a sentence. Tony was alive and standing in front of him and Steve couldn’t breathe. He could feel tears pricking in his eyes. Every promise he wanted to make to Tony bubbling to the surface. He’s do better here. He’d do it right. They’d do it together.

Tony was still waiting. Steve couldn’t stop staring. He wanted to reach out, touch him, all warm and alive and feel his heart beating under his skin. Steve shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. His bones hurt; his chest heaved but he’d done it. Tony was here. Steve would make sure it stayed that way. Tony had sacrificed everything for their world and Steve knew he’d sacrifice everything to keep Tony in it.

The weight of that brought him to his knees. He buckled, his knees stinging as they slammed into the hard floor beneath him like he couldn’t support his own weight anymore. The tears in his eyes slipped down his cheeks now and he felt Tony’s arms on his shoulders, as if they tried to catch him.

“I’m sorry.” Steve whispered brokenly, “I’m so sorry.” The tears were dripping down his face and Tony’s hands were still on his shoulders, frozen. Steve couldn’t breathe, “I’m sorry.” He whispered again. His head fell forward, forehead resting against Tony’s stomach. He smelt like whisky and coffee and some cologne that was almost minty, “Tony.”

Steve felt Tony’s whole body go rigid, like he wasn’t sure what was happening but there was a super soldier falling apart in front of him and getting tears on his floor and he had to deal with it. He felt Tony’s hand come up, one on the back of his shoulder and the other awkwardly patting his hair, “It’s okay, Big Guy. It’s okay.” Tony soothed and Steve knew he had no idea what was happening, but he didn’t care. Tony was alive and Steve would take the embarrassment of this moment over a world where Tony Stark wasn’t alive any day.

Tony, however, seemed to have other ideas and as soon as Steve started to feel comforted by the hand in his hair and the smell in his nose that proved Tony was alive and well, it was gone. Tony had seemed to realise their positions and drew back slightly. Steve could still feel his eyes boring into him though and the next thing he knew, Tony was kneeling on the hard floor with him, both hands back on his shoulders with a firm grip.

His fingers dug into Steve’s shirt, “Rogers, you gotta tell me what’s happening.”

And of course, he needed an explanation. They were barely friends in this time and here Steve was crying and babbling at Tony Stark’s feet like they’d known each other for years. They had, but not to Tony.

“I can’t.” Steve whispered, his voice soft and broken, “You won’t believe me.”

Tony’s fingers tightened on his shoulders, “Honestly, that might have been true before you dropped like a stone and started falling apart. Now, now I’m open to believing a lot more than I was a minute ago.”

Steve wanted to laugh, he’d missed Tony’s quick wit and ease with words. He had missed Tony. Those chocolate orbs weren’t letting him look away and Steve needed to. He needed to give him an answer. The answer that would decide how things were going to go here. He could lie, say he missed the 40s or something Tony probably wouldn’t question but he couldn’t find the words to do it. He couldn’t find the words to lie to this man anymore.

“I’m from 2023.” He uttered instead; the words so compact he wasn’t sure if Tony had even registered them.

The fingers still squeezing his shoulders told him otherwise, “What?” Tony asked baffled and Steve could see the cogs in his mind turning a mile a minute.

“The future. You invented a time machine and I used it to get back here, I had to get back here.” Steve knew he was babbling again.

Tony’s hands dropped from his shoulders, “You’re… and I build…” He peered at Steve again, studying him now. Steve wasn’t sure what he was looking for as Tony’s eyes roamed over his face, but he seemed to find it, “I need a drink.”

“Tony.”

“And we need to get you off this floor. This can’t be doing your senior citizen knees any good.” Tony continued as if he hadn’t heard him.

Tony hauled himself to his feet with a small huff as he straightened out and Steve simply watched him, frozen. Tony sighed, reaching down to grab Steve’s arms and haul him up as well. Steve barely moved when Tony tried to shift him, but he did give him a helping hand in getting to his feet as well. He must look a mess to this Tony, red eyes and smeared tears on his cheeks. Tony didn’t comment if he did.

He was led over to the couch in the middle of the floor, brown and leather and still brand new. Steve remembered a time when this couch was worn, sitting against a wall in the compound with a rip in the left arm from one of Clint’s stray arrows. But that hadn’t happened yet. That was the promise of a future this time still had.

Tony all but pushed him into the seat and Steve had little energy to do anything more that collapse into the couch. It didn’t mould against him like he remembered but it was soft, and it was part of Tony’s home, so Steve let himself relax into the leather anyway.

“I have some beers, hold on.” Tony said gently before disappearing over to the bar in the corner. Steve’s eyes couldn’t leave him, afraid he might disappear if he took his eyes off Tony for even a moment.

When Tony came back, he thrust a beer bottle into Steve’s hand and settled himself on the other side of the couch with his own. The distance felt like everything with them, too much and too painful but Steve knew he would get a chance to change that here.

Tony took a sip of his beer, “I know you’re big on stoicism, but I need you to start talking, Cap. If you’re from the future, why are you here?”

When Steve started talking, he couldn’t seem to stop. It felt good to tell Tony everything. To be honest and open with him about everything they had faced and everything they had lost. Steve told him about Ultron and Sokovia, about Hydra and Bucky and Shield. He watched as Tony tried to wrap his head around Thanos and infinity stones and the biggest battle either of them will ever have to face. Tony didn’t interrupt as Steve poured out his guilt, his grief, his sorrow although he knew Tony picked up on everything and by the time he was done Steve felt like he had ran a marathon and he had managed to peel off half the beer label from his bottle just to have something to do with his hands.

“Something happens to me doesn’t it?” Tony asked gently, “In the future.”

“You… God, Tony.” Steve replied, “You save the world. You stop Thanos. All those heroes fighting, and you single-handedly stop that fight. You… You die and I wasn’t there.”

Tony nodded once, like that was the answer he was expecting and took another sip of his beer. Steve followed suit, bringing his own bottle up to his mouth. The beer tasted stale in his mouth, but he swallowed it anyway. “That’s why you’re here? To change it?”

It sounded so easy when Tony said it, “I can’t… you died, Tony. I need to fix it.”

“Were we together in your time? Is that why you’re radiating guilt like a sinner in church?”

Steve blanched, almost chocking on his own tongue, “No, we weren’t… nothing like that. You married Pepper, had a little girl. You had a family.”

Tony laughed, “I had a kid? Me?” He took another drag of beer, “Now I know your world got messed up. I’m not father material.”

“You were. You are.” Steve insisted, blue eyes meeting brown, “Becoming a father, it made you. You were never like Howard.”

Tony seemed to shrink in on himself at the mention of his father, “But we’re close? In the future? You know about Howard and you abandoned your own time to be here so we must be.”

Steve shifted in his seat, his beer growing warm in his hand, “We wasted a lot of time fighting for the wrong things. The accords, Bucky. We made up and I think you forgave me. You said you did but I don’t think I earned it.”

“If I said it then I did.” Tony replied firmly.

“I don’t doubt you; I just don’t think I did anything to deserve it.” Steve explained, eyes back on the bottle in his hand.

Tony leaned forward, resting his arm on the back of the couch towards Steve, “From what you say I created a murder bot, was partly at fault for the whole accords issue and tried to kill your best friend. I think we both deserve a break here.”

“It won’t be like that this time.” Steve told him, “I sent the other me back to the 40s. He’ll find Bucky before he becomes the Winter Soldier. I wouldn’t find him in 2014 and he won’t be a factor in the accords.”

“Christ, Rogers.” Tony’s voice was baffled, “You exiled yourself to the 40s?”

Steve shook his head, “I sent him home. Tony, the me you met in Germany. He was lost and he just wanted to be back in the 40s with everyone and everything he knew. I gave that back to him.”

“Isn’t that what you want?” Tony asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Not anymore.” Steve was certain of that, “His home is in the 40s. Mine’s… not. I told you once that I was home here. You gave me that. You just don’t know it yet.”

Tony took a gulp of his beer, draining half the bottle, “So, you’re staying then?”

“If you’ll let me?”

“You showed up on my doorstep from the future because the horror of me dying caused you so much guilt that your only way to function was to go back in time and rewrite the timeline. I can’t exactly kick you out after that.” Tony replied, “If only dad could see us now? Captain America… crying over little old me.”

Steve leaned over to put his abandoned beer on the coffee table and scrubbed a hand over his face, “Thank you, Tony. I’m not sure why you believe me but thank you.”

The man shrugged, “I’ve seen liars, Cap, up close and personal. That guilt that seems to sit on your shoulders, the way you look at me like you can’t believe I’m standing in front of you. You can’t fake that.”

“You can call me Steve, you know?” Steve replied.

Tony shifted on his end of the couch, “How forward of you, maybe buy me dinner first and I’ll think about it.”

He couldn’t help it, Steve let out a small chuckle. The first one in what felt like months. It felt good and it caused Tony to smile too. His whole face lit up with that smile, his eyes got a little bit brighter and his cheeks got a little higher and Steve loved how carefree it made him look.

As soon as it was there, it was gone. Tony’s features dropped and panic flashed across his face, “Shit, J, send a message to Pepper. Tell her I need a rain check on dinner. Avengers stuff.”

Steve frowned, “No, Tony, go. I’ll be fine.”

“It’s fine, Pepper will understand.” Tony replied, “Besides, I marry her right? So, it’s not the end of the world.”

Steve shook his head, he reached out an arm towards Tony, “You don’t need to stay.”

Tony looked down at the arm he had outstretched, “Urm, you’re bleeding so I definitely do.”

There was in fact red blossoming along his shirt sleeve, seeping out from the bandage of his arm. Steve hadn’t even realised in his haste to tell Tony everything but now he watched as the patch of red grew and soaked the linen of his shirt.

Tony shifted closer, dropping his beer onto the coffee table as he cautiously grabbed Steve’s arm and peeled the wet shirt sleeve away from the wound, “How did…?”

“Thanos. The battle.” Steve replied, “It’s taking longer to heal than the others. My fault, I keep opening it up.”

Tony peeled back the gauze on his arm and saw the ragged line steadily oozing blood, “Christ.”

“It’s fine, Tony.” Steve replied with gritted teeth as Tony poked at the skin around the wound, “I heal fast.”

“How many times have you ripped this open again?” Tony asked, head bend over Steve’s arm.

Steve shrugged a shoulder, “A couple. Once when I was fighting with my younger self. Once in the shower after the funeral, I caught it on the door. And… when I carried your body off the battlefield.” The last part was a whisper in the air between them.

Tony stopped short, “I have a first aid kit in the workshop. We should get this cleaned.”

“Tony…” Steve wanted to say more but it was clear Tony wasn’t ready for that discussion. He went back to poking at Steve’s arm, hitting a particularly painful spot, “Son of a…” Steve cursed softly.

“Oh, swearing. You swear now, that’s new.” Tony remarked, his eyes meeting Steve’s again. “I like it.”

“Tony,” Steve grit his teeth, “I’ll do better this time. I swear, I won’t cause you anymore pain.”

He heard the small gasp Tony gave, the intake of breath that said he didn’t know how to respond. He deflected, “Okay, then let me get you a bandage.”

Just like that Tony managed to play down the weight of the promise Steve was giving him. He wasn’t ready for it, Steve knew that. He barely knew him here. But he would. “Thank you.”

“I’ll have Jarvis get you a room, I don’t know if time travel is like air travel and jet lag is a thing, but I think we both need the rest.”

Steve could only nod.

Tony Stark really was remarkable.

-

Tony was avoiding him.

Steve knew he was, he had patched up Steve’s arm that night and showed him to his room with an awkward pat on the shoulder and then he retreated into his work and his bots and at first Steve let him go. This was Tony’s life, there wasn’t a war to fight but he did have a business to run and a girlfriend to be with.

And a friend from the future to try and wrap his head around.

Steve got it; it was a lot. Everything he had told Tony about the future sat like a weight on his chest every minute of the day and he’d live it. Tony was left imagining the parts he couldn’t remember and trying to come to terms with the idea that in a world Steve had been a part of he was dead.

On day 3, Steve saw Tony briefly when the billionaire dropped off a stack of clothes for Steve to wear. Jeans and shirts and a black leather jacket that looked a lot like the one Steve had worn to Tony’s house in 2023. He shoved that one in the back of his closet and made a mental note not to wear it.

On day 7, he managed to lure Tony out of his workshop with freshly brewed coffee and a slice of pizza. Tony stayed long enough to inhale the slice in his hand and wash it down with a sip of coffee before he was throwing a thanks to Steve over his shoulder and heading back to the workshop with the rest of his coffee and a bottle of scotch tucked under his arm.

Steve got it, he had all but invaded Tony’s life and forced this knowledge onto him. Had he messed up already? No, Tony needed time. This Tony wasn’t the same one from 2023. The man who was a bit rawer and more open. The man who offered Steve his trust in the palm of his hand and ripped the arc reactor out of his chest when words failed him. This Tony wasn’t there yet, he still hid behind wit and snark and Steve knew Tony needed to get comfortable with him in his own time for this to work.

On day 12, Steve was getting nervous. Tony was still dodging him, and his nightmares were getting worse. Images of Tony’s body in his arms, of Tony shoving the arc reactor into his hand, of Tony on the floor of a bunker in Siberia with his arms raised and Steve’s shield coming down on his chest.

_“I needed you. Past tense.”_

_“Don’t bullshit me, Rogers. Did you know?”_

_“Zero, zip, nada. No trust. Liar.”_

Those words, Tony’s voice, going around in his mind like a loop. The only thing that could block them out was pounding the bag in Tony’s gym. A gym Tony himself had never used but Steve had made frequent visits to.

He split another bag open with the force of his punches and Steve jarred to a stop, chest heaving and sweat clinging to his skin. His hair was plastered onto his forehead and the white t-shirt he wore probably smelled worse than being back in the war.

This had to work, Steve wasn’t sure what he was going to do if it didn’t. He was trying to figure it all out. Things that had to change, things that had to happen. Hydra within shield had to be stopped but Sam still needed to join the avengers. If Tony didn’t make Ultron, then Sokovia wouldn’t happen but he still needed to get Wanda. There were too many pieces and players to keep track of and Steve wasn’t a genius. He wasn’t Tony Stark.

It should have been him.

Against Thanos, to snap his fingers. Tony had too much to live for but Steve? He was a man out of time, he’d already lost enough. He wasn’t prepared to lose anymore. Yet, here he was. Trying to find a way that they all walk away from this, a way that Tony walked away from this. A way that Tony go to go home to his wife and his daughter and Steve could rest easy knowing he’d done it.

There was a crash upstairs and shouting and Steve’s heart was instantly in his mouth. He was searching his brain as he raced upstairs. There wasn’t a threat he had missed, not until the Mandarin and that wasn’t meant to happen yet.

He burst through the door to the living room with very little grace and more sweat on his skin and stopped short when he took in the scene in front of him. Pepper and Tony were arguing, loudly and passionately. Pepper was angry, her face flushed red and her hands moving rapidly. Tony was swaying on his feet, his suit unkempt and his own hands moving with each word.

“You can’t keep doing this!” Pepper shouted at him.

Tony scoffed, “It’s my company. I can do whatever the hell I want.”

“Your company that I run.” Pepper cut in, “You can’t turn up to board meetings drunk!”

“Show me where it says that in the handbook?” Tony shouted, “Get me the handbook. Oh wait, I wrote the handbook.”

Pepper shook her head, “I’m leaving. Go to bed, sober up. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She barely made eye contact with Steve as she walked past him to the elevator, she gave him a sad look and was gone.

Tony was a state, “Fine go!” He yelled at no one. The doors were already closed, and Pepper was already gone. It was then he seemed to notice Steve.

“Tony?” Steve asked gently, this was the first time they had been in the same room together for more than a few minutes in days.

Tony laughed, low and deep, “Nope, I can’t deal with you either.” He turned on his heel and Steve knew he was going to lock himself in his workshop again.

“Hey, I’m here to help.” Steve tried.

Tony snorted, “That’s the problem though, isn’t it?” The alcohol was doing nothing to affect his speech, “What am I meant to do with that?!”

Steve shook his head, “I don’t understand.”

“No, I don’t understand.” Tony barked, “Why are you here? We’re barely friends here and we’re hardly best buds in the future yet when I die. Fuck, when I die it’s you risking everything to change the outcome. Why, huh? Why you?”

Steve didn’t know how to answer that, he stayed silent.

Tony had more to say, “What is it? Guilt? Responsibility? Is that it? You feel responsible for what happened to me?”

“No, I…” Steve tried, his throat felt rough.

“Then what?!” Tony shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls so loud it made Steve wince.

Steve sighed, “I couldn’t live in a world where you died.” He was soft and his whole body seemed to curl up at the truth of the statement, “Even when you hated me, at least I knew you were out there somewhere.”

“Fuck.” Was all Tony replied, those chocolate eyes sad and lost. He turned, heading for the workshop and Steve was powerless to do anything but let him go.

Maybe this was a mistake?

Tony opened the door that led down to his workshop, turning his head to look back at Steve, “I need to show you something.” With that he was gone, heading down the stairs. Steve followed him only a beat after.

The workshop was a mess, mugs everywhere. Paper and designs scattered on the table, the floor. In every corner Steve looked there was a little hurricane of Tony’s genius. Tony had ditched his tie and suit jacket on the couch before ambling over to his computers, hitting buttons and muttering to himself. Steve stood awkwardly in the centre of the room, not sure what he was doing here.

Tony gave him a brief glance before swiping his screen once more, the images protecting around the room from the monitor. Steve took it in with awe. Tony had been busy. There were designs for several upgraded Iron Man armours, his own tactical suit. He clocked the stealth suit he wore in DC amongst the designs and smiled to himself. There were a few designs for Clint’s bow and Nat’s tasers as well as Veronica. Tony was getting ready, for whatever was coming next. For everything Steve had told him about.

“These are…” Steve trailed off, still taking in all of Tony’s work.

Tony wiped a hand over his face, “I haven’t been sleeping much but tinkering I can do. I thought about everything you told me. Can’t stop thinking about it actually, figured when it did happen, we’d all need some upgrades.”

“These are amazing, Tony.” Steve got out, turning in a circle to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have told you some details.”

Tony glanced away, “I was still trying to figure you out.”

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” Steve promised.

“That’s the problem.” Tony sighed, “You look at me like you have all this faith in me. Like you see something in me that I don’t see myself and honestly, that’s a lot. I’m… I’m not used to that.”

Steve nodded, he got it. The pressure he must have given Tony when he told him about the future. The pressure to become the man who saved the universe. That was a tall order and if anyone got that, it was Steve. He didn’t realise but then he should have. This Tony was still figuring things out, he was still figuring himself out. He was rough around the edges and had just come to terms with the idea of a universe out there. Then here was Steve, dropping the blood and survival of galaxies at his feet and asking him to deal with it. That wasn’t fair.

Tony toed off his shoes, he had Iron Man socks on, and it made Steve want to smile a little bit. He was still wobbly as he made his way round the desk and all but flopped to the floor on his back with a groan. Tony raised his hands up to cushion his head from the floor and Steve tried not to pay attention to the flash of skin showing as Tony’s shirt rose up. The genius stretched on the floor, wiggling his toes with a sigh, “I used to sleep in the workshop in our house as a kid. I wasn’t allowed in there; it was dad’s office. He’s space. No kids but I snuck in whenever he was out of town and slept on the floor thinking about all the things, I would invent one day to help change the world.”

Steve could imagine it, little Tony with his floppy brown curls and big curious eyes laying on the floor of a workshop planning his next greatest invention. He smiled at the thought, “What did you invent?”

Tony shrugged, “A rudimentary theory on how to stop the ice caps melting, a drawing of a kid in iron man armour, a bottle opener that you only had to push a button to use.” He laughed, “Dad might have approved of that one. Will you get down here, already? It’s weird that you’re standing up right now.”

Steve smiled, “It’s weird that you’re laying down.”

“My shop, my rules.” Tony shot back.

Steve raised his hands in surrender, flopping down on the floor near Tony. He made sure to keep some space between them but close enough that if he moved his arm up, he’d hit Tony’s side. The floor was hard against his back, but he shuffled a bit pretending to get comfy. Steve turned his head to look in Tony’s direction. Tony was already looking at him, his face relaxed and free of tension. No doubt a result of the alcohol in his system.

“Did your dad ever find out you snuck into the workshop?” Steve asked gently.

Tony’s smile was a lazy one, “Oh yeah, yelled at me for a solid 20 minutes. I just told him when I got my own workshop, he wasn’t going to be allowed in.”

“What did he say to that?” Steve asked, the carpet scratching against his ear.

Tony hummed, “He said I had to invent something worth his time for that to work.”

Steve bristled, damn you Howard. “Well take an Iron Man armour, time travel and an arc reactor for an easy win.” He replied softly.

“I never put a lot of effort into the idea of my future. I never needed to; the company was handed to me as soon as I was old enough. The money and cars came with it. I just rolled with it.” Tony said softly, he wasn’t looking at Steve now but that was okay. This was a start, “Never had to worry about other people, never had to worry about caring.”

“That’s no way to live, Tony.” Steve told him.

“That future you came from. I cared, right? About you, the team? That’s a nice thought. That I want to protect you guys so much I’d give up everything to do it.” Tony sighed, “I think Howard was wrong, you know. It’s not about inventing something to make the future worthwhile. It’s about caring about something enough to want the future to be worthwhile.”

Steve smiled, “And what do you want for your future? You have the chance right now to decide how you want it to go.”

Tony frowned, “I just want it to mean something. I don’t want my life to be one battle to the next. I want to wake up and just live for the small moments, you know?”

“I do.” Steve affirmed, “So let’s do it right this time.”

“Together.” Tony replied.

Steve froze, “What did you just say?”

“Together. You said you thought that’s where we went wrong in your time, right? So, let’s make sure in this one, when Thanos comes, we’re ready and we fight him together.” Tony explained.

Strangely enough, though it wasn’t a fix it or a promise or even much of a plan, it was enough for Steve. It was step one, the starting point. It was a resolve that him and Tony didn’t have last time.

Together.

What a silly little complex word.

Oh, how it made his heart speed up and his hand itch to reach towards Tony’s.


	2. Chapter 2

Life in the Tower got a little more comfortable after that. Tony stopped avoiding him although he was still barely sleeping. Steve would bring him food down to the workshop where Tony was tinkering on a new version of his armour or a new type of material for Steve’s suit. Tony would make a show of shoving food down quickly so he could get back to work and Steve took up a space on the couch with a book and read.

Really, he watched Tony, and pretended he was reading. He watched things come to life when Tony worked on them. The flicker of light in the armour’s faceplate of the Mark 42. The way Tony rendered and re-rendered the material of Steve’s suit until he was happy with it. It was amazing, watching Tony Stark at work. The workshop becoming a hub of activity that seemed to calm Tony’s ever busy mind and sooth Steve’s burdens.

This was Tony’s haven; Steve could see that now. And he’d let Steve in.

But their demons still found them there.

Tony threw a paper ball at Steve to get his attention one afternoon, the wad of paper bouncing off the corner of Steve’s book. He raised an eyebrow in question when he looked up to see Tony with a megawatt smile on his face and Steve’s brand-new stealth suit in his hands.

“I think it will go with your brooding personality.” Tony jested with that glint in his eyes that Steve had grown so fond of.

He set his book aside, getting off the couch to take the material from Tony, “This was always one of my favourite suits.”

“You didn’t like being wrapped in the American Flag?” Tony asked as he let Steve take the suit and drop his hands.

Steve smiled, “The spandex I wore for New York was awful, too tight and too bright.”

“Well, that’s what happens when you let a fanboy like Coulson have design input.” Tony replied, “Crimes against fashion.”

“We can’t all look good when we’re seen on national television flying into a wormhole.” Steve laughed, the material in his hands already felt more heavy duty and breathable than his 2012 suit. He knew Tony would have designed it with those things in mind.

Tony was frozen next to him, in a split second his whole body language changed, and Steve was acutely aware of it. Tony’s eyes were darting around the room, his breathing increasing to ragged breaths from his mouth.

“Tony?” Steve asked, the material in his hands falling to the floor as Tony dropped. He was gasping for breath now and Steve could see him visibly shaking on the ground.

Steve dropped down next to him, his eyes finding Tony’s panicked ones, “Jarvis! What’s happening?”

“It appears to be a severe anxiety attack, Captain Rogers.” The AI chimed into the room.

“Tony.” Steve said, softer this time, “Focus on me, okay. On my voice.” Tony was breathing frantically, like he couldn’t take in enough air. “Tony, slower. Breathe, in and out. Focus.”

Tony was gasping, his body seeming to convulse at the effort. Steve took his hand and placed it on his chest over his own heart. Tony’s fingers automatically curled into the material of his shirt, but Steve kept his gaze, “Breathe with me, okay. Follow my heartbeat.”

Steve tapped out the rhythm of his heart against the back of Tony’s hand, still resting on his chest. He waited until Tony started copying him, tapping his fingers against his shirt in time with the heart beating in his chest. The distraction helped; Tony started breathing slower, more controlled then before.

They stayed like that for a while, letting Tony breath into the silence and Steve’s heart guide his pace. It was a while before Tony pulled his hand away from Steve’s grip, “Thanks.” He nodded gently, uncurling his body slowly.

“Does that happen often?” Steve asked gently, the worry in his voice was clear.

Tony shrugged, “Sometimes. Whenever anyone mentions New York and… the trip I took.”

“Tony.”

“I’m fine.”

Steve sighed, “This isn’t fine.”

“We all have our demons to work through, Cap. You don’t tell me about yours.” Tony replied firmly.

Steve paused, “What?”

“You have nightmares. You called my name once, must have been in your sleep but Jarvis thought you were asking for me, so he told me. I didn’t want to invade your privacy, figured you’d tell me if you wanted to.” Tony shrugged.

“That’s not.” Steve was searching for the words, “I just don’t want to burden you with anything else. Me being here, it’s already enough.”

“That’s my call.” Tony reminded him.

“We’re talking about you right now.” Steve replied.

Tony huffed, “Well I don’t want to talk about me.”

“Too bad.”

Tony got off the ground, shrugging off Steve’s attempt to help, “I need a shower.”

“Tony.”

“Try that suit on, I need to make sure it fits.” And with that he was gone, back to dodging Steve’s concern and brushing off his own health.

Steve had forgotten how stubborn Tony Stark could be.

-

_“I’m trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart!”_

_“I needed you. Past tense.”_

_“Zero, zip, nada. No trust. Liar.”_

_“Did you know?!”_

_“I… am… Iron Man.”_

Steve bolted up right in bed, sheets pooling around his waist as his chest heaved and the weight of Tony’s body in his arms felt so real, he had to shake them out to prove they were empty. He looked at the clock on his beside 4:03am. Steve took a steadying breath before swinging his legs out of the bed.

He wouldn’t sleep now, he never did. Not with Tony’s last stand in his mind and all his mistakes piled up like a mountain in his head. Only one thing would help him now. He made his way to the gym in his joggers and the white shirt he slept in and immediately headed for the punching bag.

Steve started punching blindly, not bothering to wrap his hands or correct his stance. He just thrashed and raged against the leather bag with everything he had. He should have stopped this. He should have been better. Tony needed better. They all did.

The leader of the Avengers. The man still pretending he had a plan.

He struck the bag again, the force causing his skin to slap against the leather.

“Captain Rogers, you’re bleeding.” Jarvis’ voice fell on deaf ears as Steve kept punching. He wasn’t enough when it counted, how could he be enough now? He felt the blood on his knuckles, it made the bag slippery, but he kept going.

_“I needed you. Past tense.”_

Steve hit it again, ignoring the sting to his knuckles or the sweat on his forehead. The bag split, sand and blood splattering on the mat by his feet. Steve wasn’t done, it wasn’t done. He threw the bag away from him, hitting the corner of the gym and then Steve went for anything he could get his hands on. He launched the benches against the wall and the weights in any direction he could. He needed to do something, he needed to be better.

When he was done and there was nothing left to throw, he didn’t feel better.

He stood in the middle of Tony’s destroyed gym with blood staining his hands and tears in his eyes and he didn’t know what to do.

“Hey, hey.” Tony’s voice drew his attention, “It’s okay. I’m here.”

“Tony.” It was a broken sob from Steve’s lips.

“Jarvis woke me when he realised you were bleeding. Damn it, what were you thinking?” Tony asked, eyes on the blood dripping onto his gym mat.

“I failed.” Steve replied, “I couldn’t save you.”

Steve turned his back to Tony; he could barely look him in the eye without his disgust for himself mounting. That was when he felt it, a warm solid weight against his back, a press of something round and hard and two arms wrapping around his middle from behind.

Tony was hugging him, fiercely. His head resting between Steve’s shoulder blades and the warmth of the arc reactor pressed into his shirt. “You haven’t failed me. Not here. Not yet.” Tony whispered to him and that was all it took for the dam in Steve to break open.

“I’m so sorry.” He whimpered.

Tony held him tighter, “Stop. This isn’t going to help. I’m here. This is your second chance, Steve. Don’t waste it on wallowing in your own grief. I’m here. You’re here. We’re together.”

Steve took a shuddering breath, “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I promise you.”

Tony squeezed, “I believe you.”

Steve nodded, wiping his face with a hand. The other came up to settle over Tony’s on his stomach. He was right, this wasn’t going to help. If Steve was going to do this, really do this then he had to stop blaming himself for the things that hadn’t happened here yet. He had to be here, be present. It was the only way to save Tony this time.

It wasn’t until later, when he was back in his bed and Tony had promised he wasn’t angry about the gym that Steve realised it was the first time this Tony had called him by his first name. Not Cap or Rogers. He’d called him Steve.

-

The Mandarin attacks started about a week later.

A terrorist that planned to teach America a lesson, Steve remembered Tony telling him about the attacks. He remembered hearing about it on the news. Now though, he got a front row seat to the main event.

Tony didn’t really notice the threat at first. He was too busy with Stark Industries and Pepper. Steve let him do his thing, giving Tony space as he worked through his own guilt over everything he had been through.

There was a sketch pad and a set of pencils on the kitchen table one morning though that made him pause. Tony had left a note: ‘**Thought this might be a cheaper distraction then trashing a state-of-the-art gym. Dad mentioned once you were an artist in your free time.” – TS.**

Steve started drawing that same afternoon, and if the first thing he drew was a sketch of Tony in the workshop talking to DUM-E then he figured he shouldn’t have been surprised.

What did surprise him thought was when Tony stumbled through the door at 8pm clearly drunk and showing no signs of stopping.

“There he is!” Tony greeted when he saw Steve on the couch, “Captain Muscles.”

“You’re drunk?” Steve raised an eyebrow. He thought Tony was having dinner with Pepper, having left that evening with a spring in his step and a new shirt that brought out his brown eyes. Although Steve had pushed that thought aside as quickly as he could.

Tony snorted, “Oh, he’s quick.”

“Tony, what’s going on?” Steve was clearly missing something, and Tony slumped into the chair across from him pulling out a bottle of scotch from his jacket pocket.

“I’m a hot mess, that’s what’s going on.” Tony replied, unscrewing the lid, “Pepper left me. She can’t deal with it. Why should she have to? I’m the mess, it’s not her problem.”

Steve frowned, “What wait? You guys broke up?”

“I guess I’m not marriage material after all.” Tony shrugged, taking a sip of the scotch.

Steve shook his head, “That’s not right, that’s not what happens.”

“Well, you coming back changed things. This is one of those things. It’s okay, she deserved better. I can’t. I can’t sleep, not since New York and now we’re… whatever we’re trying to do and it’s for the best, you know?” Tony rambled, going in for another sip.

Steve was quicker, he shot up off the couch and grabbed the bottle out of Tony’s hand, “You don’t need it, Tony.” Steve told him gently.

Tony huffed, “I don’t need you either.”

That stung but Steve knew he was right, “I know.”

The silence between them was stifling and uncomfortable and Steve hated it. It pricked at his skin and he could do nothing but watch as Tony scrubbed a hand over his face, “I don’t mean that. Don’t leave.” The genius said, his voice soft and almost vulnerable.

Steve patted his knee, “I’m not going anywhere.” He promised with a sad smile, “I’m sorry about Pepper.”

“Me too.”

-

By the time the Mandarin threat grew Tony had decided to throw out all the alcohol from the tower. He didn’t want it hanging over him and Steve supported that, making sure to throw whatever alcohol he found down the sink. Pepper hadn’t called Tony for anything other than work reasons and Steve knew this wasn’t meant to happen. They were meant to be living together by this point, so he didn’t understand what he had done that changed that. Tony didn’t want to talk about it and Steve wasn’t about to press the issue, but he did want to figure out where he went wrong.

They were still friends, Pepper kept him in the loop about work stuff and still ran the company like nothing had changed. They just weren’t together. Steve couldn’t understand it.

Then Happy was caught in the Mandarin attack in China Town and that became Tony’s new focus. He needed to find the Mandarin. Steve agreed, or at least he did until Tony gave out a threat to the terrorist on live television and gave out his home address. That wasn’t something Steve would have agreed to.

Tony didn’t offer him too much of an explanation, just told him they needed to go to Malibu in case the Mandarin decided to attack back, Tony had a home there and that was the address Tony had given. If the Mandarin planned to stop by then Tony planned to be ready for him. Steve hated Malibu, everything was too hot and sticky and extra, and he could see why Tony didn’t stay there anymore. The house was a show piece, a display of his wealth but empty of any real life or charm.

“It was dad’s.” Tony told him as he gave Steve the tour, “His party house, I think. I don’t know. It’s always sort of depressed me but there you go. The old man wasn’t much of an interior decorator.”

Steve nodded, “It’s definitely not a big ugly tower in New York.”

Tony laughed.

When you send a threat to a terrorist, they normally take it personally. So when Steve found himself standing with Tony one minute and being blasted through the ruins of his mansion in the next he knew he should have seen this coming. But it was too late for that.

He hit the ground with a thud, Tony not too far from him already calling for his armour. The helicopters were still circling outside and getting ready to strike again. The armour zoomed through the already broken window, searching for the nearest body it could find amongst the chaos.

Which unfortunately was Steve.

The armour wrapped around him, adapting to his body in an instant as the faceplate slammed shut over his eyes. Tony was looking at him in shock, this wasn’t part of the plan. Another missile was fired, shattering more glass and making the walls crumble. Steve threw himself over Tony, making sure to take the impact of the rumble with the suit protecting them both.

“How do you wear this thing?” Steve asked as the face plate freed him again.

Tony smiled up at him, “At least it’s not spandex.”

More rubble fell around them, “We gotta get out of here, I’m right behind you.” Tony shouted.

Steve could only nod, getting to his feet as he tried to find a way across. He was about five feet from the structure when another shot blasted through the building, splitting the ground between him and Tony. The air was hot and Steve could hear a buzzing in his ears from the last blast.

He stopped, looking back at Tony frantically. “Go, I got this. We both know I don’t die here.”

“Things can change, Tony.” Steve reminded him. His heart was in his throat and Tony was ready to risk his life on the fact he knew he didn’t die today. Steve wanted to shake him.

Tony summoned the armour back to him, freeing Steve’s body from the metal as it reassembled on him instead, “Stop stalling, and go. I’ll be fine, I have the suit. Call Pepper warn her incase they come for Stark Industries next. Go!”

Steve hated it but he knew Tony in the suit stood a better chance against the Mandarin then he did without his shield. He knew he needed to listen to Tony, Pepper didn’t have any defences if the Mandarin came for her and if anything happened then Tony would never forgive himself. Neither would Steve. He nodded reluctantly and started moving again.

As soon as Steve was clear of the building it seemed to collapse, disappearing into the sea like it was never even there, taking Tony right along with it.

“Tony!” Steve shouted desperately, hoping to see red and gold fill the sky. He didn’t, and he could taste the ash in his mouth.

No, this couldn’t be happening. He could not be losing Tony again.

-

It was five days of worrying with Pepper over whether Tony was still alive before Steve got a call on the crappy flip phone Tony had given him. An unknown number, he excused himself out into the hallway before he answered.

“Tony?” He asked hopefully.

The voice on the other end of the line had him beaming, “Miss me?”

“Where are you?” Steve replied instead, pressing the phone harder against his ear.

Tony sighed on the line, “Rose Hill, Tennessee. Don’t ask. I’m sorry I put you in danger. You didn’t come back for this.”

“I came back for you.” Steve said firmly, “If this is part of that then sign me up.”

He could hear the smile in Tony’s voice, “Okay good, I’m heading to Miami. I tracked down our friend the Mandarin, tell Jarvis to track this number. I might need the back up.”

“Tony, wait.”

“Stealth suit is in the workshop; we’ll call this a trial run.” Tony replied and then the line went dead.

Jarvis tracked the number easily enough and Steve tried not to worry. Tony was Tony and he was fine. That didn’t stop him from changing into his stealth suit as soon as he got back to the tower and pacing around in the workshop until Tony’s tracker had stopped moving.

As soon as he had the address he was gone, repurposing Tony’s private jet thanks to Pepper to make sure he got to Miami in record time. It was the longest flight of his life and all he could think about was the last time he had strapped his shield on his back to go into battle.

He really was a mess.

When he found Tony, mostly thanks to Jarvis, he was in the hands of Killian listening to some monologue whilst he was tied to a bedframe. Even without his suit, Tony Stark was a force to be reckoned with. Steve couldn’t help the smile on his face at Tony’s quick wit towards his guards and the countdown he was giving them.

And Steve didn’t want to disappoint him.

As soon as Tony got to one, he burst through the window and flung his shield at a guard knocking him out cold. Tony took the second one out with a shot from his repulsor which somehow managed to find its way to his left hand.

“You ruined my countdown.” Tony told him as Steve broke the ties keeping him in place.

“I came to save you.” Steve frowned.

Tony scoffed, “Do I look like Snow White?”

Steve chuckled, “Well I’ve never heard you sing.”

“Not going to happen, buddy.” Tony replied with a smile, “Although there is an innuendo here somewhere about a bed and zip ties.”

“Later.” Steve laughed, strapping the shield back onto his back. This was familiar and easy, “The suits perfect, by the way.”

“Of course, it is, I designed it.” Tony shot back, “Hold on, later? Did you just flirt back?”

Steve sighed, “Plan?”

Tony nodded, “I got to get Rhodey, get to the President before this maniac does any more damage. Can you get to Pepper? Killian might come for her; I don’t want her caught up in this.”

“I don’t think…”

“Steve, I need to finish this. It’s my mess.” Tony sighed, “I’ll see you at home.”

“You better.” Steve warned him.

Home. Steve did like the sound of that, very much. Home. His home was with Tony. Wasn’t it always?

-

When he walked into Pepper’s office later that day, still in his suit she seemed to understand what was happening. She closed her laptop and waved Steve in, “Is he okay?”

“He’s Tony.” Steve replied, “But he’s working on this as we speak.”

Pepper ushered him into a seat opposite her, “He sent you to watch me, didn’t he?”

Steve nodded, “He cares about you.”

“He doesn’t love me though.” She replied, “Not like he thought he did.”

“Of course, he does.”

She shook her head, “He tells you things he can’t or won’t tell me. It’s easier I think, because you’re a part of that world. I never will be.”

“He does love you.” Steve said gently.

Pepper sighed, “Maybe that’s not enough when you’re competing with someone else.”

Steve didn’t ask her to elaborate, he didn’t think he wanted to know what she meant by that last statement or why it made his chest tight and his stomach feel light. Tony would tell him, if and when he decided there was something worth saying.

Until then, all Steve wanted was for him to come home.

He got his wish three days later, when Tony walked into the tower all smiles and hopefulness, “Honey, I’m home.”

Steve quirked an eyebrow over his sketch pad, “I hope you’re not expecting dinner on the table.”

Tony smirked, “Never really been one for the housewife vibe, I must admit.”

“You okay?” Steve asked, putting his pad to one side.

Tony nodded, “I will be. I do have a small favour to ask you though.”

“What’s that?”

“Will you come with me to have the surgery done on my heart?” Tony asked, “Time to get the shrapnel out and stop justifying this as a part of me just because I’m scared.” He knocked his palm against the arc reactor with a sad smile.

“You sure that’s what you want?” Steve asked gently.

Tony nodded, “I’ll always be Iron Man. This thing, I don’t need it anymore. I’m not scared about the future so much these days.”

Steve smiled and he stayed in that hospital waiting room for hours whilst Tony was in surgery. He wasn’t going anywhere.

He intended to keep that promise.

-

Seeing Tony confront his own fears and future inspired Steve to deal with his own. Namely, the things he knew were coming that he needed to stop. Living in the tower with Tony was amazing, but it was a bubble. A little selfish piece of this world that Steve had carved out for himself so he could bury his head in the sand for a while and just relish in the feeling of Tony Stark being alive and with him and here.

But that wasn’t enough.

Steve knew what was coming and he knew he had to do something about if it he wanted things to stay the way they were. If he wanted to have a chance at saving Tony here.

He had called Fury whilst Tony was in surgery and asked for a favour. An address. The same piece of information Natasha had given him in 2014, standing in a graveyard with the weight of too much on his shoulders. Bucky. More importantly, where they were keeping Bucky in this time.

In 2013 Bucky would still be in Cyro, ready and awaiting orders from Hydra to reawaken in 2014 to go after Fury and then after Steve. Fury had been confused about why Steve wanted to know about a disused warehouse in DC but he deflected the question, Fury kept his secrets and Steve would keep his own.

As soon as Tony was out of surgery and back at the tower on bedrest for a few days, Steve set off. He told Tony he needed to see Fury, he’d explain later but he needed to make sure this worked first. This was important.

Finding the warehouse was easy, Hydra wasn’t expecting Captain America to even know Bucky was alive or that Hydra was still active and because Bucky was frozen they didn’t need a lot of man power to protect him. Steve managed to take out the guards easily enough without the shield and make his way further into the building.

Bucky was in a chamber, iron and rusted but with advanced technology built in and a keypad on the side for access. He looked almost peaceful with the frost on his eyelashes and his lips most blue and Steve felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he stared at the frozen form of his best friend.

“Hey, Buck.” He whispered into the silence of the room.

He hoped his 2012-self had made it back, in that timeline he had found Bucky and saved him from any of this horror but that wasn’t the timeline Steve was living and he knew if he did nothing then Bucky would still become the Winter Soldier and the fall out of him and Tony would still happen.

He picked Bucky in that timeline and he need he needed to pick Tony in this one. In another timeline maybe Steve got it right, maybe he saved Bucky from Hydra in the 40s. Maybe Bucky never in fell but in this timeline. This one that now belonged to Steve, this was the best he could do.

_“This job. You do the best you can to save the people you can. Sometimes that doesn’t mean everybody.”_

“I’m so sorry, Buck.” Steve replied, resting a hand against the glass, “I know you don’t want to hurt people. You still don’t. We can both do better here. T’Challa will help you, you’re going to love Wakanda.” Steve sighed, “But I need you to stay on ice for a little while, just until we get there. I won’t meet him until 2016 and he’s the only one I know who can help you.”

The body in the chamber didn’t respond of course but in his head Steve saw the man who followed him into a war (more than once). The man who never wanted to hurt anyone. The man who in another timeline made the decision to freeze himself to protect everyone. Now, Steve had to make that choice for him.

“Please forgive me,” Steve continued, voice thick. “Please understand why I’m doing this. I need to save him, Buck. I need to save you too and this is the only way to do both.”

He felt almost silly, in the middle of an abandoned warehouse talking to a frozen man but it also brought him comfort, that maybe Bucky could hear him and understood why Steve was doing this. That this was the price he had to pay.

It was a stupid thought but Steve clung to it all the same.

He already arranged to move Bucky somewhere safe, thanks to Fury’s contacts and Steve almost wondered whether telling him about Hydra would help prevent it. He didn’t. He made up some story about how he knew in the 1940s Bucky was being frozen and used as a secret weapon and Fury seemed to buy it enough to help Steve hide the cyro chamber without anyone else knowing.

It was a bunker, disused SSR issue from the war and Steve could almost smile at how familiar it felt as he wheeled the chamber into the co-ordinates Fury had sent to the jet. Neither of them wanted a weapon like Bucky being used against shield or civilians so Fury had pulled out all the stops to make sure this location was buried too deep for someone to start sniffing out a trail.

Steve spared a last glance at Bucky through the frost and glass, “Rest up, Buck. When Thanos comes I’m going to need you. The world is going to need you.”

It took more effort than Steve wanted to admit to turn around and walk away but the knowledge that Bucky was safe and out of Hydra’s hands was enough to keep him moving.

He headed back home with a heavy heart and a resolution that he would make this work. For Tony. For Nat. For Bucky.

He had too.

-

“Captain Rogers.”

Steve was confused when he woke up in the middle of the night to Tony’s AI calling his name and turning on his bedroom light. He checked the clock: 2:16am. For once he hadn’t been having a nightmare that woke him up in a cold sweat so he couldn’t understand why Jarvis had woken him. He wasn’t due at shield for another few days so this couldn’t have been an official wake-up.

Steve didn’t actually want to go back to working for shield this time round, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. That’s what he did in his timeline and whilst Bucky wasn’t around as the Winter Soldier this time there was still the issue of Hydra operating inside shield to deal with and Steve wasn’t about to let that fester any longer than necessary.

No, he had to stick to the timeline on this one. Except of course for the fact that thanks to his little stunt when he first stole the spectre from Rumlow and now Hydra thought Steve was on their side. At least he might be able to use that to his advantage, stop this thing before it really got started and those helicarriers were launched. He didn’t need to fight Bucky this time, so he stood a good chance at dealing with this before anything that had happened before could happen again.

“Captain Rogers.” Jarvis called again, “Mr Stark appears to be having a nightmare. I cannot wake him.”

That had Steve moving. He threw the covers off himself, stumbling out of his bed and out of the room. He needed to get to Tony.

Steve knew Tony was getting nightmares as well, although he never mentioned it. Steve had asked Jarvis about them and the AI had told him that Tony had installed the ‘Sandman Protocol’ for those times when Jarvis detected Tony to be suffering from a nightmare. The AI was to wake him up no matter what.

That fact that Jarvis couldn’t wake Tony this time meant it was a bad one.

He was making his way to Tony’s room in minutes, pushing the door open without knocking and entering the room. The glow of Tony’s arc reactor guided Steve to his bed. A new model, still a beacon of blue on Tony’s chest. It housed the Iron Man armour now, as much a part of Tony as his genius but he didn’t need it to survive anymore.

Tonight, Steve was grateful for it.

The blue light lit Tony softly, making the sweat on his forehead shine as the billionaire thrashed about on the bed, his covers tangled around his legs as his hands gripping the pillow next to him tightly.

Tony gasped, a scared sound escaping his mouth and Steve was there in a second.

He shook Tony’s shoulder gently, hoping the contact would stir him, “Tony.” He called out into the dark.

The sleeping man flinched; his skin hot through the black vest he wore. Steve shook him again, “Tony.”

Tony groaned, his body curling in on itself, “Tony!”

The sharpness of Steve’s voice and the grip of his palm on Tony’s shoulder was enough to pull him from his nightmare. Tony shot up in bed, disorientated and gasping for breath.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s me. It’s Steve.” Steve soothed gently, “Just breathe.”

Tony did as he was told, wiping a face over his face, “That was… that was a bad one.”

“Jarvis got me when he couldn’t wake you.” Steve told him. As if on que the AI helpfully turned the lights on to a low dim and Steve could see just how exhausted Tony looked. His eyes were ringed with dark circles and his skin looked almost off-colour.

“Thanks.” Tony muttered, eyes on the covers.

Steve frowned, “New York?” He made sure not to mention the wormhole or anything in more detail incase Tony started to panic.

“I’m falling and I’m so cold and I can’t stop, and I know I’m not going to make it, you know?” Tony sighed, “I just keep waiting for the landing, but it doesn’t happen.”

“You landed, Tony. You’re alive.” Steve’s voice almost broke on the last word.

That seemed to catch Tony’s attention, “Yours are about me, aren’t they? That’s why you don’t want to tell me.”

Steve sighed, “I never thought I’d wish for the days when all I had nightmares about was crashing that damn plane in the ocean but now… I’d rather live through that nightmare a thousand times over than have to remember the way you looked when you died for even a second.” He let his head fall, willing the images to fade.

Tony shuffled closer to him at the edge of the bed where Steve had perched, he took Steve’s hand and cautiously placed it on his cheek. Tony gave him a small shy smile when Steve looked up at him, leaning into his touch when Steve didn’t take his hand back, “I’m right here.”

“And you’re going to be okay.” Steve promised, “We both will.”

Steve almost thought he imagined it when Tony dropped his head a little to press his mouth to the inside of Steve’s wrist, his fingers gripping the back of Steve’s hand still on his cheek. Steve felt his breath hitch, “Tony?”

“I’m here.” Tony whispered as he shuffled closer, “I’m here.”

The next thing he knew, Tony was closing the small gap between them and crushing his mouth to Steve’s. It wasn’t gentle or sweet as Tony all but crashed into Steve. His hand went to the back of Steve’s neck, fingers curling into the strands of his hair as Tony kissed him. He was urgent and insistent as he invaded Steve’s space, pressing closer, demanding more.

Steve couldn’t keep up; his head was spinning, and his heart was pounding in his ears. His hand was still on Tony’s cheek, the other fisting the cover next to Tony’s leg so he didn’t grab the genius and slide him even closer.

Tony’s tongue invaded his mouth desperately, licking into Steve and tangling with his own tongue as Tony refused to let him go. Steve couldn’t help it, that desperate need of his mouth and the taste of his tongue and Steve just wanted more. Tony groaned, guttural and low in the back of his throat as he got to his knees, towering over Steve so the soldier had to lean up into the kiss.

He let himself react to Tony’s touch, his cock hardening as Tony bit down on his bottom lip. Steve couldn’t think, he could barely breathe and god, was this what it was like to drown?

Tony’s hand left his neck, travelling down his chest heading for…

Steve pulled back sharply, grabbing hold of Tony’s hand before it could reach his goal. He was panting and Tony looked so vulnerable in that moment, so dishevelled and framed in the dim light. Nothing like the cocky arrogance Steve was so used to seeing from him.

“I can’t.” Steve mumbled, “God, Tony, we can’t.”

He saw the rejection in Tony’s eyes for a split second and then it was gone. Masked by something else, “Right, you’re not. You don’t…”

Steve shifted slightly hoping to hide the bulge in his joggers, “It’s not that.”

“You don’t want me like that? Because I’m not your Tony?”

“We never, in my time, we weren’t together.” Steve insisted, “You had Pepper and then Morgan and we weren’t…”

Tony looked at him then, chocolate eyes darkened with lust but clear with intention, “Did you want to? Did you ever think about it?”

God, did he think about it?

Steve couldn’t stop.

“It’s not. I can’t…” He stood up, trying to put distance between them. He could still taste Tony in his mouth, but this wasn’t right. He was meant to be with Pepper. They got married. Steve couldn’t take that away from him. He couldn’t keep the bed warm until that day happened.

He needed to get out of there.

Tony seemed to realise he was about to run, “When Pepper broke up with me, I asked her why and do you know what she said? She said, “Because even though you love me, this thing you have with Steve it’s magnetic and I don’t think you want it to stop.””

Steve swallowed thickly, “Tony…”

“It’s fine, Cap.” Tony shrugged, “Just go.”

“I’m sorry.” Steve whispered gently, knowing Tony would hear it and then he left, padding his way out of the room and making sure the door was firmly shut behind him before he sagged against the wall and tried to remind himself he wasn’t here to be selfish.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve was a goddamn idiot.

That was the only thought going around in his head on loop that morning as he set off for his run before the sun was even up. He was avoiding Tony like a coward because Tony saw right through him.

That kiss. Tony’s hands and his mouth and just him.

God.

Steve was prepared for Hydra, for Thanos, for every other threat he knew he had to stop in this time to make a difference. But Tony? Tony was something he wasn’t prepared for. It didn’t even factor into his plans that by inserting himself more firmly into Tony’s life it would cause things to change on a personal level.

What an idiot.

In his head, Steve knew Tony would be happy with Pepper. He’d seen it with his own eyes, but he also knew this Tony wasn’t the same one in 2023 and that was Steve’s fault. He was already changing things and now Pepper had left Tony and Tony was kissing him in the middle of the night and Steve was just trying to keep his own feelings in check.

In his time, he knew he felt something for Tony that wasn’t strictly professional, he knew that’s why they fought passionately and everything they touched seemed to burn down around them. He got it. But not even for a second did he believe that Tony felt the same way. Steve wasn’t stupid and he could get over his feelings, it got easier to hide the more he and Tony drifted apart.

This Tony though, the one so alive and demanding and seemingly returning Steve’s feelings? That was something he knew he couldn’t ignore for long.

Was that selfish of him? To even be entertaining an idea of _them_. When he knew Tony got his happy ending with Pepper and Morgan and Steve definitely wasn’t meant to be part of that. He came back to save Tony, to make sure they all survived Thanos but after that was done Steve hadn’t given much thought to what he would have done.

Could it even work? A timeline where he and Tony were together. Really together.

Tony’s warm brown eyes filled his mind again and Steve shook his head, he sped up his pace. He just needed to run a little more. Get a hold of himself and get that kiss out of his mind until he figured it out and stopped being a coward about his own feelings.

He caught sight of another jogger up ahead, dark skin and a gentler pace than Steve’s own. He smiled to himself.

Well, this is something he knew he needed to do.

He sped up, coming up to overtake the jogger in front and Steve couldn’t help the grin spread over his face as he did, “On your left.”

-

It was Natasha that collected him straight from the run and brought him to shield and Steve had to remind himself not to bring her into a bone crushing hug because they weren’t that friendly yet. It was good to see her, that steely resolve and witty smirk. She deserved better than to die on a planet far from home without her friends around her. Steve found himself just watching her, the way she talked, the way a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth when she teased him.

This was good. This was on the right track.

Fury told him about the Helicarriers just like Steve remembered and Steve made sure to push the idea of his disagreement onto Fury just as much this time around as he did last time. What he didn’t expect though was a hand to grab him and lead him into an empty meeting room within shield after they were done talking.

Steve was about to start fighting when he saw Rumlow, Sitwell was sitting at the table with a shit eating grin on his face and Steve had a job to mask his own confusion.

“Well, when did Hydra get to the great Captain America?” Sitwell asked with a grin.

Steve stood up straight, of course, to them he had revealed himself as Hydra in 2012. He had to play along, “Right around the time I woke up from the ice.” A believable lie, Steve could feel the sweat on his palms, he could do this.

“We need your help on this one, Cap. Hydra’s done hiding.” Sitwell explained. Rumlow stood like a guard by the door, arms crossed over his chest like an attack dog waiting for orders.

“What do you need?”

Sitwell seemed pleased by the answer, “Those helicarriers, we have our own little plan for the code. An algorithm we’ve perfected. When the time comes, I need to know you’ll be with us. We could use the muscle if anyone from shield tries to fight back.”

Steve gritted his teeth, “Shield won’t even know what’s hit them.” It wasn’t a lie; shield wouldn’t recover from this well and Steve would make sure Hydra went down with them.

“That’s a good answer, Captain.” Sitwell responded, “Hail Hydra.”

“Hail Hydra.” The words tasted wrong in his mouth.

They let Steve leave after that, and it was clearly a test to see if they could trust him. Steve didn’t know whether that conversation was enough to convince them, but he hoped it would buy him enough time to convince Fury to never let those carriers into the air.

Natasha watched him walk down the corridor towards the exit with a raised eyebrow and a blank face.

That was a problem.

He checked his phone on the way out of the building, a text message from Tony flashing up on the screen. Steve sighed and opened it quickly: **‘Gone to Berlin for a few days. SI conference. Fridge is full.’**

Great, Tony was flying halfway across the world to avoid him after their kiss. Steve threw the phone back into his pocket. Did Tony regret it? Was he embarrassed? Just a moment of weakness after a nightmare and Tony just wanted a little relief?

No, Tony wouldn’t have told him what Pepper had said if that were true.

“Steve!” Natasha’s voice shouted to him as she ran to catch up with him, “Fury’s been shot. We need to get to the hospital.”

“Wait what?” Steve asked dumbfounded. That wasn’t meant to happen yet. Who shot him if Bucky wasn’t around?

Natasha kept walking so Steve followed, “He was on his way into the office when a sniper blew out his car and shot him in the chest. We need to get there.”

Steve nodded, “You drive.”

This had to be Sitwell. They must have another assassin in the works and went after Fury earlier in this time which made sense. They thought Steve was on their side so they’d probably think they could be a little bolder in their advances.

Still, in Steve’s time Fury was shot in his apartment so why did that suddenly change in this one? Time travel really should come with a warning label about headaches. Steve could feel one brewing behind his eyes as he tried to make sense of it.

Natasha was racing them towards the hospital as Steve sat in the passenger seat trying to match up timelines and figure out what was happening. He was failing at that miserably. Maybe he needed to stop wondering why things weren’t happening the same way, he’d already changed too much so maybe he needed to just start rolling with the punches a little bit more. It’s what Tony would do.

Fury was flat-lining when they got there, and Steve could only stand back and watch the grief on Natasha’s face at the loss of her mentor. He slipped outside to give her a minute and clear his own head. He knew Fury faked his own death because he knew Hydra was coming for him so Steve couldn’t worry about that now. He needed to worry about Hydra who, thanks to Pierce, now had control of shield and were working on getting those carriers in the air.

He knew what the algorithm was now though, so he didn’t need to waste time going to Zola or fighting with Bucky. No, he could take this fight straight to Hydra. His head shot up when Natasha came out into the hallway, her features were back to being a mask as she leaned against the opposite wall to him and just studied Steve’s face.

“What? Did I mess up my shave this morning?” Steve tried to jest, it was awkward and heavy between them.

“Why were you meeting Sitwell and Rumlow this morning?” Natasha asked him bluntly, “You’re not working any active missions with them.”

Steve sighed and pushed himself off the wall, “It doesn’t matter. We need to find out who shot Fury.”

“Yes, Rogers, it matters.” Natasha shot back, pushing herself away from the wall too and striding over to him, “You’re being shifty.”

“No, I’m not.”

Natasha was relentless, “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I just need you to trust me.” Steve imploded, “Just for now.”

“I don’t trust you.”

Steve snorted, “That should be the other way around, shouldn’t it?”

Natasha was fast and graceful on her feet; she always had been. She frowned at him and in the next second she had managed to twist Steve’s arm round his back and push him against the wall, “Tell me the truth.”

He didn’t have time for this, he kicked out his leg to throw her off balance and slammed her into the wall instead, “I don’t want to fight you, Nat.”

“So, talk to me instead.” She bit back.

Steve sighed, looking around them briefly before shoving her into the nearest empty room. Natasha stood in the middle of it waiting for him to start talking.

“Sitwell’s Hydra. Rumlow too. A handful of units inside shield. Those helicarriers, Hydra wants to use them to target civilians. A lot of casualties.” Steve replied as he ran a hand through his hair, “They have an algorithm to do it.”

Natasha was fast, “They shot Fury.”

“They were behind it, but I don’t know who pulled the trigger.” Steve said gently.

“Doesn’t explain why you were meeting them.”

He sighed, “They think I’m Hydra. It’s a long story. I’m playing them for now, but they’ll work it out soon enough, so we need to move.”

“And here I thought you weren’t cut out to be a spy.” Natasha smirked, “I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. I hate it.” Steve replied, “Will you help me?”

She nodded, “For Fury.”

Steve wanted to tell her the truth that Fury was probably still alive, but he knew he couldn’t. His death motivated her to help him in the first place and Steve knew he wouldn’t be able to do this without her.

-

Apparently Rumlow and Sitwell didn’t believe his little lie in the meeting room after all. Steve had never been all that good at lying directly. It just didn’t sit right with him. So he really shouldn’t have been surprised when Rumlow appeared at the hospital with a team of men Steve knew were all Hydra.

“Sorry Cap, we have orders to bring you in.” Rumlow told him, “Pierce wants to talk to you.”

Steve knew Pierce didn’t want to have a chat with him, Pierce wanted to arrest him. Pierce was top of the Hydra chain and he’d know Steve wasn’t one of them. He’d remember if they managed to bring Captain America into the fold.

“Okay, give me a second and I’ll meet you out front.” Steve replied. Rumlow let him go but he didn’t move a muscle, so it was clear he’d personally be escorting Steve to Pierce.

Steve had to think quickly, he didn’t have his shield because it was still at the tower and whilst he knew he could fight Rumlow if he needed to, that would get ugly fast. Natasha seemed to have no issue with messy, she launched herself at Rumlow, knocking him down with a well-placed kick.

“I could use a hand, Steve!” She shouted and that was all it took to spring Steve into action. Steve took on the men with Rumlow while Natasha kept at him. Steve threw punches at anyone who came his way, throwing one guy into a wall and taking out most of the plaster with him. He crouched down, knocking another one’s legs from under him. He glanced over at Natasha who had Rumlow in a leg lock and was smashing her elbow into his face.

Steve kicked another guy through the window and winced when he remembered when they were on the fifth floor. The next guy was sluggish, and his punches were off so Steve managed to quickly dispose of him with a kick to the chest and a punch to the face. Natasha threw Rumlow in his direction as she dealt with the last guy and Steve spun, building up the momentum to knock Rumlow through three walls with a crunch and a cloud of plaster dust.

When Steve looked up from the destruction, he saw the audience they had gained, doctors and nurses and patients all standing at the end of the hallway with wide eyes and camera phones out.

“Steve, we need to move.” Natasha said as she straightened out her jacket, “I think your covers been blown.”

Steve could only nod as they retreated back down to corridor. They made it as far as the third floor when Rumlow’s voice came over the speaker system that ran through the hospital, “Captain America is a fugitive wanted in questioning regarding the death of Director Fury of Shield. He is dangerous. Don’t approach him. We’re sweeping the hospital and ask everyone to cooperate. If you see him, call it in. As of now, the UN has started a country wide manhunt for Captain America.”

And just like that, Steve was a wanted criminal.

Natasha picked up the pace, heading down another flight of stairs. They needed to get out of the hospital fast. They made it to the second floor when they heard footsteps on the stairs. Steve turned around, planning to go back the way they came but Natasha stopped him with a hand on his arm, “Wait.”

She peered around the corner, a flash of scrubs and a clipboard was all Steve could see.

“Kiss me.” She ordered.

Steve blanched, “What?”

“Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable.” Natasha answered.

Steve nodded, “Yes, they do.”

Natasha sighed and grabbed his face to press her lips to his. Steve barely registered it, frozen as a stone but acutely aware of the doctors awkwardly shuffling past them with a disgusted huff under their breath.

As soon as they were gone Natasha pulled back, “Was that your first kiss since 1945?” She asked as she headed back down the stairs to the first floor.

Steve shook his head as he followed her. He thought about Tony, all warmth and passion and fire. He thought about the tongue in his mouth and the hand in his hair, “No.” Steve replied, “That wasn’t my first kiss since 1945.”

Natasha hummed, “We need to get off the grid.”

“I know a guy we can trust.” Steve replied.

-

Sam takes it all in his stride when they turn up at his place, dirty and exhausted and without anywhere else to go. Steve was pleased that no matter what the timeline looks like he can rely on Sam. It’s nice to know some things don’t change.

He’s all over the news as a wanted criminal and Steve excuses himself the first chance he gets to call Tony. It’s stupid and he should be focusing on the upcoming fight with Hydra, but he can’t stop thinking about Tony. He doesn’t want him to worry that Steve’s going off the rails or doing something drastic.

As he pressed the phone to his ear he wondered if Tony will even pick up or whether he’s still avoiding him after the last time they saw each other.

“Steve?” Tony’s voice is breathless and worried and relieved, and Steve is so glad to hear it.

“Hi.” He murmured into the phone, “I didn’t know if you’d want to talk to me.”

He heard Tony huff, “You just made the headline of every news channel in America.”

“I didn’t mean to. This didn’t happen before.” Steve replied as he sat himself on the edge of the Sam’s bed, “It’s Hydra, Tony. The helicarriers, Fury. It’s all still happening, even without Bucky.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Tony asked, “I’m getting on the jet and I can come and meet you.”

“No,” Steve replied, “I need you far away from this. Trust me. I have Nat and Sam here; we can handle this. We did before.”

Tony paused for a moment, “Wait, who’s Sam?”

“Wilson.” Steve commented, “A good guy. He’ll be one of us soon. This is his training.”

“Be careful?”

Steve wanted to make that promise, really, he did, “How’s Berlin?”

Tony sighed, “It sucks. Meetings and conferences, all the legal stuff I hate. I just thought you’d want some space after…”

“So, you went to Berlin?” Steve asked.

“I’m not good at this, okay?” Tony imploded, “I laid it out and you didn’t want it and that’s okay, seriously, but I don’t know how to get back to what we had before.”

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face, “It’s not that. I don’t want to do this over the phone, Tony. I wanted it. I want it. I just, it feels selfish. To take this for myself. To be with you when I know in another timeline, you’re happy with someone else.”

“Well that’s another timeline, Steve. That’s another me. I didn’t choose it.” Tony insisted and Steve had to admit he hadn’t thought about it like that. This Tony had changed the moment Steve came to him in 2012 and changed the timeline. This Tony wasn’t the same as the one he knew before. The things he wanted weren’t either.

Steve allowed himself a small smile, “We need to talk about this together. Not like this.”

“So, go kick Hydra’s butt and then come back home.” Tony replied and Steve could hear the smirk, “I’ll made it worth your while, Captain.”

Steve groaned, “Tony.”

The billionaire laughed, “That’s never going to get old. Are you blushing yet? I bet you are.”

“Hey,” Steve had a thought, “Can you hack into a secure military base and get us access?”

“Hack? It’s not the 90s, Cap.” Tony sighed, “But yes, should be a walk in the park. What do you need from a secure military base?”

He smiled, “A bird costume.”

-

Rumlow caught up with them after they got Sam’s wings, arresting Cap and the others on sight and shoving them into the back of a van. Steve didn’t resist too much because he knew what this was. He waited quietly for Maria Hill to shock the other guard and take them to Fury.

Natasha was shocked and relieved to see Fury alive, but Steve could only scowl at the man who had too many secrets. He waited for Fury to give him the codes to shut down the helicarriers and Steve bluntly told him the same thing he told him last time. It all goes. Hydra and shield. All of it. Fury didn’t like it, Steve could tell, but he knew it had to be done.

After that it was pretty straight forward because Steve already knew how this was going to play out. Natasha and Fury went to stop Pierce just like they had before, him and Sam went for the helicarriers. He swung by the tower first to collect his stealth suit and shield and then they were ready.

It wasn’t Bucky standing opposite him in this timeline as Steve tried to get the last code into the last carrier. It was Rumlow.

Steve wasn’t surprised and yet he was. He knew this event caused Rumlow to become Crossbones and that would set him on the path to steal a biological weapon in Lagos that caused the death of many innocent lives. So, as he stood in front of Steve with a smirk and a dangerous glint in his eyes, Steve knew one thing.

Rumlow had to die.

Steve threw the shield at Rumlow and then he ran at him. The fight was brutal, Rumlow was a skilled fighter and a ruthless opponent, his moves weren’t anything Steve could work out. There was no pattern to them, just a blinding rage that seemed to fuel them.

He knocked Steve to the ground, punching him with a bone crushing force and Steve could taste the blood on his lip. He brought his head up, smashing it into Rumlow’s chin and throwing him off. As soon as he was up Steve was moving, he needed to get that chip in place. He picked up the abandoned shield and threw it at Rumlow for good measure as he reached the main hub.

The shot that rang out surprised him.

Steve gasped as the pain exploded in his stomach. Red started blooming against the blue of his uniform, but he pushed forward, the chip in his fingers. Just a little more.

Another shot rang out.

This one in his thigh. Steve groaned in pain as his leg buckled. Anyone else would have been down by now but the serum was keeping him upright. He tried to ignore the pain as he slotted the chip into its place.

“Charlie lock.” Steve said into the earpiece, “Blow it.”

There wasn’t time to get out. Rumlow was coming towards him now, preparing to finish the job. Steve could hear the protest from Maria in his ear.

The pain was cutting into him sharply, “Just do it!” He commanded as Rumlow loomed over him, the gun raised at his head.

Steve didn’t think, he brought his good leg up to knee Rumlow hard and it brought the agent to his knees as the gun dropped from his hand. Steve and Rumlow both scrambled for it, but Steve was faster, even while he was injured.

“You’re not going to pull the trigger, Cap.” Rumlow sneered, spitting blood, “You’re too good for that.”

Steve grunted in pain, “I’m not that good anymore. War, it changes you.” He pulled the trigger and Rumlow dropped like a stone. The war with Thanos had changed him, Steve knew it wasn’t a lie but the chance he had here to protect everyone he cared about? He wasn’t risking that.

The helicarrier exploded around him and Steve felt himself falling through the air, fire and dust and rubble raining down with him.

-

When he woke up it was bright, and he was stiff and achy. Hospital. He’d spent his younger life in enough of them to know that smell instantly. He looked to his left, expecting to see Sam.

It was Tony in the chair, head resting on his upturned hand as he slept.

That was different.

Steve shifted slightly, trying to sit up a little more and get a better look at Tony. How long had he been there?

“Stop staring at me.” Tony mumbled, his eyes opening slowly and focusing in on Steve, “I’m mad at you.”

Steve frowned, “I thought we talked about…”

“Oh no, not that.” Tony shifted in his seat, stretching his legs, “I meant about you blowing up a helicarrier that you were still on.”

“I knew I’d survive Tony; I did the same thing last time.” Steve replied gently.

Tony shook his head, “Okay, from now on that’s no longer a valid excuse. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“I’m sorry.” Steve whispered, his eyes locking onto Tony’s, “God, I hate aircrafts.”

“Yeah, your track record with them is less than stellar.” Tony smirked, “Wilson was here earlier, I like him. Strong moral fibre and all that. I can see why you’re fond of him.”

Steve smiled, “He’ll be a good avenger.”

“Are we recruiting?” Tony asked with a smile.

“Not yet. We will.” Steve reached out his hand blindly and he felt Tony wrap his fingers around his own, “When can we go home?”

Tony quirked an eyebrow at him, “The serum is already healing you. A few days and you’ll be as good as new. They had to dig the bullets out whilst you were out though, it was awful.”

“Can’t leave them in there whilst I’m healing.” Steve hummed, “That’s even worse.”

Tony squeezed his fingers, “Is this okay?”

Steve smiled and squeezed his back, “More than okay.”

“You messed up your suit, bullet holes and blood. Is this how you’re going to treat every gift I give you?” Tony teased.

“Like you don’t already have another design in the works?” Steve asked with a smile.

Tony hummed, “How do you feel about a bit of red? I want to stake my claim.”

Steve laughed, picturing the suit he fought Ultron in a lifetime ago, “Red’s good.”

-

It took Steve about a week until he was completely healed after the helicarrier incident and that was slow going even for him with the serum. It felt good to be back in the tower with Tony though and Steve would often find himself seeking out Tony’s company, even if it was while the genius was working on the Mark 45 or the specs for Steve’s new suit. It was an easy kind of existence, one where they just seemed to fit effortlessly into each other’s orbit. They never had that before. Steve liked it.

He went and paid Sam a visit as soon as he was strong enough, staying to listen to one of his talks at the VA. It helped, listening to Sam talk about the importance of moving on and letting go and rebuilding. That’s what he wanted.

Steve was even taking his gym sessions slower; he knew Jarvis would tell Tony if he didn’t, but he did like the stretch and pull of his muscles as he worked with the punch bag or did pull ups. He was regaining his strength every day and that meant he was healing.

He had just finished a light workout and was back in his room thinking about dragging Tony out of the tower for dinner when he heard a timid knock at his door. Steve opened it to see Tony standing there with a beaming smile and fabric hanging from his fingers.

“I finished your new suit.” Tony said as a way of greeting, shoving the material into Steve’s chest, “I need you to try that on. I’m using a new reinforced fabric over the chest and I need to see if you find it too heavy to move like you normally would.”

Steve shook out the material to see the familiar star against dark blue fabric. The top of his uniform, this time with red and white panelling and more red in the shoulders. Tony seemed excited about this one and Steve didn’t have the heart to tell him he already knew it would fit perfectly.

“This couldn’t wait until after dinner?” Steve smiled, eyeing up the suit in his hands.

Tony scoffed, “I’m onto a winning streak here. Finished the armour as well. Dinner can wait.”

Steve laughed, these past few days with Tony like this had been wonderful. Even if he had been recovering and Tony had been throwing sexual references at him left and right that they couldn’t act on because Steve just had to go and get himself shot in the stomach.

Tony was watching him, waiting patiently for Steve to try on the top.

“Right now?” Steve asked.

“That’s the idea, get to it soldier.” Tony ordered with a grin as he made a show of crossing his arms and leaning against the back of Steve’s door. Clearly, he wasn’t going anywhere.

Steve shook his head with a smile as he shrugged out of the grey Henley he was wearing, revealing his chest to Tony’s gaze. He threw the Henley in Tony’s direction, the material hitting him in the shoulder before dropping to the ground, “Enjoying the show?” Steve teased gently.

“You could say that.” Tony’s gaze was hungry, eyes dark and he made no attempt to hide his gawking.

Steve pulled on the uniform top, flexing and stretching into the material to test it out, “It feels great, Tony,” He replied, “Light enough that it can still fight but it doesn’t feel like it’s suffocating either.”

Tony pushed off of the wall, making his way over to Steve, “Of course it doesn’t. It’s shock resistant Kevlar, with a few upgrades, it should help provide you some extra protection against bullets and other scraps.” His hands reached up, checking the material at Steve’s shoulders.

“It’s bulletproof?”

“Not exactly, just more resilient than the stealth suit.” Tony commented, “Does the panelling feel, okay? That’s where the reinforced stuff is thickest.” His hands slipped down to the design on Steve’s stomach and he could instantly feel himself getting hotter.

Tony pretended not to notice as his fingers skimmed Steve’s side, making a show of checking the ribbing. His hands were wandering now, his face tilting to look at Steve with playful eyes.

Steve’s hands came up to rest on Tony’s waist, bringing the genius closer to him and Tony smirked. His movements grew surer, arms wrapping around the soldier so his hands could wander along the material of Steve’s back.

Tony’s hands managed to work their way under the material, fingers ghosting along Steve’s spine, “Did you make me try this on just so you could get me out of it?” Steve whispered as he brought his head closer to Tony’s.

Their lips were inches apart, breathing the same air, “Kiss me and find out.” Tony taunted him.

And how could Steve refuse that offer? He brought his head down, his lips finding Tony’s in a heated kiss. This part was always magnetic, Tony pushed, and Steve pulled and they both just knew they needed more. More of this, more of each other. Steve let his tongue invade Tony’s mouth, tasting him as they kissed with an air of franticness that had Steve getting harder by the second and Tony’s fingers digging into his shoulder blades.

Tony fisted the material of Steve’s uniform in his fingers, dragging it up until Steve had to let him break their kiss in order to get rid of the damn thing. He had it over his head and on the ground in seconds with Tony’s help and then Tony’s hands were on him again, pulling him back to his mouth and pushing his body against the line of Steve’s. Tony was hard, firm and eager against his jeans and Steve couldn’t help but walk them backwards until he had Tony up against the door.

The genius broke their kiss when his back hit the wood as a gasp broke out of his throat. His eyes were blown, and his lips were red, and Steve had done that. He pressed in closer, letting Tony feel the effect this was having on him, his cock pressing against Tony as his hands grabbed at his band t-shirt.

Tony’s lips dove for Steve’s neck, tongue darting out to taste the skin under his jaw and Steve couldn’t stop his groan. He got Tony’s t-shirt off him without ripping it and brought them back together again, pressing their fabric clad groins together.

“Tony.” His name escaped Steve’s lips like a pray as he wove his fingers into Tony’s hair and brought his lips back to Steve’s.

It was all hands and lips and wanting. A build-up of weeks together, denying this thing that was damn near electric as Tony’s teeth scrapped against his lip and Steve rolled his hips into Tony’s in return.

“Wait,” Tony breathed, pulling away from Steve to look at him, “Just do me a favour. Don’t get self-righteous on me, okay? Just allow yourself to feel it. This moment, right here. Everything else can wait.”

Steve gave him a smile, leaning down to place a kiss against the arc reactor on Tony’s chest, “I want you, Tony. There’s no stopping that fact now I’ve admitted to it.”

That seemed like enough for Tony because he brought their lips back together and took control as he shoved Steve backwards in the direction of his bed. Steve let him do it, falling onto the plush mattress with Tony on top of him.

Tony had told him he wanted a future where he lived for the little moments and not the battle.

That night was a moment that Steve could have happily lived in forever.

-

Tony was straddling Steve’s thighs, rolling his hips lazily against Steve’s erection with those sinful brown eyes watching for every flush of pleasure on Steve’s face. Steve was going mad, the press of their arousals, the way Tony’s hands were raking over his chest and stomach, fingers smoothing over the already smooth skin where the bullet had been. Steve was flat on his back, watching Tony as he bucked his hips up in time with Tony’s movements as the genius bit his lip when it provided him with more friction.

His eyes never left Steve’s, wide with lust and heavy with emotion as he rutted against Steve in a punishingly slow pace and tried to wring out every gasp he could from the soldier beneath him.

In short, Steve realised Tony was planning to worship him.

And that simply wouldn’t do. It was Steve’s job to worship Tony and he fully intended to.

His hands clamped down on Tony’s hips for balance as Steve sat up, Tony still grinding into his lap but more than happy to wrap his hands round Steve’s shoulders for purchase as Steve brought his mouth to Tony’s.

The kiss was filthy, all tongues and lips and tasting each other. Steve felt like Tony was stealing every breath from his lungs as he kissed him and all Steve could do was lick into his mouth and suck at his tongue until Tony’s fingers dug into his shoulders and he ground down against Steve harder and more frantically then before.

Steve could come like this, right there in his jeans with Tony Stark in his lap and the taste of him on his tongue.

“Fuck, Steve.” Tony bit out, tearing his mouth away from Steve’s, “I want you inside me.”

Those words shot a spike of pleasure straight to Steve’s cock as Tony’s hands reached down between them to pop the button on Steve’s jeans. He couldn’t resist bucking his hips against Tony again just to hear the gasp that dropped from his lips. Steve grabbed at Tony’s waist again, rolling them over onto the bed so Tony was underneath him now and Steve could press his erection against Tony’s with reckless abandonment.

“We need to get these clothes off first.” Steve replied teasingly, his lips mouthing a path against Tony’s ribs.

The genius hooked a leg over Steve’s waist, “You waiting for an invitation?” He sassed back and there is was again. That push and pull between them.

Steve took that as his invitation, getting Tony out of his pants and boxers with little effort. His cock was flushed against his stomach and already leaking with precome and Steve groaned at the sight. Tony’s hands were tugging at his jeans again, pushing them down Steve’s legs as best he could before Steve got the hint and shrugged them off along with his own boxers.

As soon as they were both naked Steve was back over Tony again, kissing him soundly as Tony wrapped his legs firmly against Steve’s waist, bringing their cocks together again. It was the feeling of Tony’s hand on his dick that caused Steve to break the kiss, groaning into the man’s shoulder as Tony slowly worked his hand back and forth against Steve’s skin.

Steve could feel his pleasure tugging at him, a knot in the pit of his stomach but he didn’t want to come yet. Not before Tony did. He started kissing a path down Tony’s chest, causing Tony to have to drop his hand when Steve moved out of his reach.

The first stripe of Steve’s tongue against his cock had Tony jumping and cursing into his fist and Steve couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. Tony was beautiful like this. Splayed out against the bedsheets, flushed with pleasure and arching into Steve’s touch as he swirled his tongue around the head of Tony’s cock before taking him in his mouth.

“Christ, Steve.” Tony was breathless and blissful as a hand worked its way into Steve’s hair and Steve started to suck him properly, mouth working up and down against Tony’s erection.

He knew the smaller man was close when Tony’s legs started shaking and his free hand fisted into the sheets. That only made Steve speed up, he wanted to see this. He wanted to see what Tony Stark looked like when he came apart with pleasure only to be put back together again. To see Tony give himself over to his urges and feel just how much Steve wanted him.

His cock was hitting the back of Steve’s throat as Steve worked his tongue along the underside of Tony’s dick and kept a frantic pace. His own erection was pressed against the mattress and he was trying not to rut against it for some friction.

“I’m so close, Steve.” Tony gasped, hips bucking, “Please.”

He came in Steve’s mouth with a shudder of his body and Steve’s name on his lips and Steve thought he looked like a sin. Mussed hair and parted lips and lidded eyes. His own personal temptation and torment.

Steve sucked him clean before raising up to his knees again just watching Tony come down from the high. His own dick was painfully hard and he couldn’t help but press a hand against it to calm himself down.

“No chance.” Tony commented, noticing the hand, “Inside me. Now.”

Steve frowned, “I don’t have any…”

“Pocket of my pants. Hurry.” Tony replied.

Steve dived down for the black trousers he had taken off Tony earlier and fished out a small bottle of lube from the pocket. He smiled, “So you did come in here to seduce me?”

“Figured it was about time.” Tony smirked.

His limbs were heavy but Steve stopped him as he tried to turn over onto his stomach with a hand on his hip to keep Tony on his back.

The genius frowned, “I want you inside me, Steve, I promise I can take it.”

“It’s not that.” Steve replied, eyes finding the bottle of lube in his hand, “I need to see you. I want to be able to look at you and see…”

“That I’m here.” Tony finished softly before nodded and spreading himself out on the mattress again, “You would be the romantic type.”

Steve smiled at that, feeling Tony’s legs around him to pull him closer again. He squeezed the lube onto his fingers as Tony let his legs fall wide. Steve dropped the lube to the side and then he was looming over Tony again, one finger circling his entrance. Tony’s eyes rolled and he shimmed closer to Steve’s hand, “God, this is not the time for teasing.” He bit out as Steve pushed the finger into him.

Tony moaned as Steve worked his finger inside of him, the lube making it slide easily before adding a second one to stretch Tony out for him. Tony bit his lip, his hands wrapping around Steve’s biceps as Steve worked him open with another finger and felt Tony relax at the intrusion. He curled his fingers, hitting Tony’s prostate and the move had Tony tightening against him with pleasure and his cock start to harden again.

“I’m ready. Please.” Tony gasped, “I need you.”

Steve wanted to savour the way Tony had said those words, he leaned down to place a small kiss to Tony’s hipbone before pulling his fingers out and lining his cock up to Tony’s entrance. He pushed in slowly, wanting to make sure Tony was okay but the genius was having none of it. He wrapped his legs around Steve again, pushing him further inside him.

As soon as he was buried fully into Tony’s warmth Steve waited, watching Tony was dark eyes, “Okay?”

“If you don’t move soon I’m going to lose it.” Tony smiled, “You’ve waited years for this. Timelines even and you’re really worried about going slow?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tony smiled, reaching up to pull Steve over him so he could kiss him again, “Not possible. Now, I want to feel you come.”

Steve kissed him again and started moving, pulling out slowly before filling Tony again. The pace was maddening and Tony was so tight and warm and Steve was trying to focus on drawing this out. On trying to remember this moment.

Tony was hard between them again, cock bobbing against his stomach and Steve’s and as Steve moved he made sure to rub his chest against the cock between them. Tony was moaning under him, pulling at him to get Steve closer.

“Faster.” Tony gasped, nails digging into Steve’s back as he bucked against him needing more. Of course it would be Tony calling the shots, Steve thought as he picked up the pace, wasn’t that the beauty of their relationship. That push and pull. The respect and equality between them to say what they wanted.

Steve hitched Tony’s leg higher on his waist to change the angle, sliding in deep and making Tony’s hands fall to the side from the way the new angle caused Steve’s cock to brush against his prostate on every thrust.

His own pleasure was building, almost too much but Steve sped up again, letting Tony feel this with him. His hand reached out for Tony’s on the mattress, their fingers locking together as Steve held them tightly next to Tony’s head as he thrust into him again.

He was on the edge, every thrust a tease to fall over the edge and Steve started pounding into Tony now, fast and hard and as deep as he could. Tony was moaning with him, his cock coating Steve’s stomach with precome as Tony’s other hand – the one not holding Steve’s – came up to the back of Steve’s neck, bringing their mouths together.

“Let go.” Tony whispered when he pulled back, “Let me feel you, Steve.”

Steve grunted, pushing harder. His fingers were white from how hard they were holding onto Tony’s hand as he chased his own release. Tony’s hand slipped from his neck to grab at his ass instead, helping Steve’s pace as he drove into Tony’s body again and again.

Steve’s hand on the mattress was shaking from the effort of balancing himself and the pleasure he was so close to and Tony was meeting his hips with every thrust.

“Tony.” He said it breathlessly as he came, that pleasure coursing through him as he tumbled over the edge and dropped down onto his forearm spent. Tony was still moving against him, his dick hard and eager at Steve’s stomach. He was close again. When did that happen? Steve untangled their hands to circle his fist around Tony’s cock and jerk him off one more time.

Tony came suddenly and quickly, his come coating both of their stomachs as Steve finally pulled out. He was sweaty and blissfully happy as Tony unwrapped his legs from Steve’s waist and pulled the soldier in for another deep kiss.

“I need to move.” Steve whispered, “I’m heavy.” His forearm was aching with the strain of holding himself up but Tony was having none of it. He pulled Steve down until his arm gave way and Steve all but collapsed on him. He made sure to shove some of his weight onto the mattress as well.

“You’re not moving a muscle.” Tony told him, “At least not until I have the energy to get in a shower and clean this mess off.”

Steve kissed his chest gently, allowing himself to settle his ear over Tony’s heart and just listen to it beat. Strong, sure, alive. Tony hummed happily, fingers sliding through Steve’s sweaty hair and leaned down to place a small kiss there.

-

When he woke up it was because the sunlight was blinding behind his eyes through the open curtains. Steve turned his head, but his body was stiff, looking down his chin was tickled by a mop of dark hair as Tony snuggled up to his chest, still asleep.

He had an arm around Steve’s waist, a sheet that Steve had grabbed to cover them last night was wrapped around their hips and their legs were so tangled together Steve wasn’t sure where he ended, and Tony began. He had an arm slung across Tony’s back, the other thrown out towards the other side of the bed.

Tony’s head on his chest felt heavy and Steve had to stop himself of thinking about the last time he had Tony’s head against him, carrying him off the battlefield. Steve ran a hand down Tony’s back, feeling the muscles quiver under his touch and held his breath so he could focus on Tony’s. His body rising and falling against Steve’s left side.

He was alive.

He was safe.

Steve couldn’t resist leaning down to place a kiss into Tony’s sex hair, watching as Tony grumbled and tightened his grip on Steve’s waist. He laughed at that, thumb brushing over Tony’s shoulder.

“I’m trying to sleep.” Tony muttered into his chest.

Steve smiled, “Sorry.”

Tony sighed and pushed himself up slightly to look into Steve’s face, “No, you’re not.”

He leaned down to steal a kiss from Tony, sweet and short, “No, I’m not.”

A hand came up to push against Steve’s chest as Tony quirked an eyebrow at him, “Oh no, don’t you dare. You promised.”

Steve frowned, “I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re looking sad, stop worrying about the future.” Tony told him, “You just had mind-blowing sex. That is not the face of a man who had three orgasms last night.”

Steve blushed, “Only because you woke me up around 2 for another round.”

“Steve.” Tony warned.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” He replied, pulling Tony back down to his chest and wrapping both arms around him, he sighed letting the tension leave his body.

Tony sighed again, kissing Steve’s collarbone, “Are you worried you won’t be able to stop it?”

Steve squeezed him, “No, I will. It’s already changing. We didn’t do this before.”

“I trust you.” Tony told him gently.

He didn’t want to tell Tony there was a timeline where he didn’t, where they got all of this so wrong. “I trust you too.” He promised, slotting his mouth over Tony’s again.

Tony hummed into it, “So stop worrying. It will work out this time.”

Steve loved him for that. That blind faith. He rolled them back over, trapping Tony under his body so he could worship him a little more.

Tony wouldn’t understand the weight of the words he had just given Steve, but Steve was determined to give Tony this.

A world where he was loved and safe and one where Steve was never far from his side.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a few months after they started sleeping together that Maria Hill gave them the intel on Strucker’s Hydra base. A mission that brought all the Avengers back together. Tony already had rooms for them at the tower and Steve felt more relaxed seeing them all together, working and fighting and laughing. He had missed this.

This little rag-tag family that he had seen go through too much hurt and grief.

Not this time.

He found himself making that promise a lot when he saw Thor’s easier nature or Bruce’s calm existence. He found himself silently promising Clint nothing would happen to the family he had hid to protect them and wishing Natasha a chance to have all of that for herself if that’s what she wanted.

He had already warned Tony about Ultron and the things that were meant to happen, so he wasn’t worried when they went to the base as a team. This time would be different. Tony had understood why Ultron should never be created and had already started looking into a way to create Vision from Jarvis’ mainframe.

To Steve it was simple, no Ultron, no Sokovia, no accords.

Whilst everyone else was busy securing the base and making sure no Hydra agents got away, Steve had a different mission.

Wanda.

He needed to find a way to get her to join the team, Pietro too. They were enhanced and Wanda was part of his family. He wasn’t about to let either of them get abandoned in this world. He owed them that.

Steve was prepared when Wanda appeared at the base, knocking him on his ass and hitting him with her powers. Or at least, he thought he was. He was thrown head first into a vision, just not the vision he remembered.

_The sky had turned to ash, Thanos’ army heading straight for them. The battle of a lifetime and Steve was watching it happen again. He was trapped as he watched the team struggle, they were losing. _

_And then he saw Tony, the gauntlet on his hand, his eyes determined. _

_“And I… am… Iron Man!” _

_He snapped. _

_“No!” Steve shouted; he couldn’t let him do this._

_Tony’s eyes met his, “It was always going to happen like this, Cap. It’s the only way to end it.”_

Steve collapsed to the ground as soon as the vision faded. No, he’d stop it. Whatever it takes. For Tony, For Natasha. For the team.

For the second chance he was building day by day.

The team secured the base without him, and as soon as Tony caught his gaze Steve knew he’d seen his own vision thanks to Wanda. He was shaken, they all were.

It was always rare when the team managed to get together. Thor was normally off world and Bruce was always hard to pin down. He didn’t like cities, too enclosed, too many people. He didn’t like the risk. So, whenever they were together, they always tried to make it last, Tony opened his bar and everyone grabbed a chair in the living room and they just savoured it, being together.

Steve more so than everyone else.

Clint was trying to grill him about how the hell him and Tony had managed to get together and Bruce was flirting with Natasha. Steve smiled softly, wondering if that could work out in this timeline too. He hoped it did, he’d never seen Natasha like that. It was nice.

It was Tony who suggested the game of ‘Who can lift Thor’s hammer?’ and everyone else soon jumped on the bandwagon. Steve watched with an easy smile as Bruce tried to do it and pretended to Hulk out and as Tony and Rhodey tag teamed it. When it was his turn, he pretended to go with it, wrapping his hand around the handle with a determined look. He made a show of trying to move it without actually putting any effort into it. He knew the answer, but it didn’t matter. Thor chuckled at his attempt and in his head, Steve remembered the smile of pride on his face when Steve lifted it in the battle against Thanos.

By the time early morning came around everyone was exhausted and winding down. Thor was telling stories about Asgard and Tony was writing formulas on the back of a napkin, occasionally passing them to Bruce for his input. He was working on Vision. Steve wasn’t much help in that department. He knew Tony used the regeneration cradle that Dr Cho worked on but that was about it. Luckily, Tony loved a challenge.

“Sir, I appear to be malfunctioning, I…” Jarvis’ voice cut through Thor’s story of battle and bloodshed and Tony was instantly on his feet.

“What’s going on, J?” Tony asked, rushing over to the computer to pull up diagnostic checks.

Steve felt a sense of dread pool into his gut, this wasn’t right.

“I think, we can help answer that.” A voice Steve recognise called out and he was on his feet too, the Avengers were already moving.

A blur of blue and grey ran through the tower and stopped in front of the team. Pietro. A cocky smirk and an easy expression.

“The speedy little bastard from Strucker’s base?” Clint called out, levelling an arrow at him.

Steve tensed; this was bad. He searched the room for Wanda, if Pietro was here then she had to be as well.

It was Tony who spoke up, “Sorry, kid. Invite only.”

Pietro sneered, “Unless it’s a weapon of mass destruction. You just give those away, don’t you, Stark?”

“I don’t made weapons anymore. Clean energy now.” Tony replied, his face guarded.

Steve stepped forward, “We don’t want to hurt you.”

“Tell that to him.” Pietro pointed a finger at Tony, the rage burning in his eyes.

“That’s enough!” Thor boomed, “You are not welcome here.”

That was when Wanda made herself known, her powers sending Thor crashing through the wall as she calmly walked down the stairs from behind them, Steve whirled around to face her. This Wanda was angry and young and naïve. A Wanda that had let her anger drive her to volunteer for Strucker’s experiments and was out for blood.

Clint shot an arrow at Pietro which he dodged with his sped and then all hell broke loose. Pietro was whipping circles around them, knocking Clint and Tony through tables and other furniture. Wanda was throwing her red sparks about, exploding the bottles behind Natasha’s head and making Bruce dive for cover behind the sofa.

This wasn’t meant to happen.

Steve flipped out of Pietro’s way, landing on his feet as he charged at Wanda. He needed to get her alone, to talk to her. Maybe he could get her to see they weren’t the bad guys. She had swapped to their side before. But that was when they had Ultron as a mutual enemy and their home city to save. Now, they were just two kids out for the revenge of their family that were killed by a Stark missile.

He knocked her to the ground easily, she didn’t have any training here. Steve had been the one to teach her how to throw a punch and dodge an opponent. He heard Natasha and Bruce dive behind the bar to take cover from her powers but as soon as Wanda stopped throwing sparks everywhere, slamming down on the floor next to Steve, Pietro was there. He threw Steve back, his body hitting the back of the couch with a thud.

“Cap!” Clint called out, throwing his shield towards Steve. Steve got to his feet, shield in his hand. Tony had the Iron Man gauntlet on now, shooting a blast near Pietro’s shoulder. The teen had to duck out the way, still shielding his sister as they got to their feet.

“Tony, don’t!” Steve shouted, seeing Tony’s hand raised to take another shot.

Wanda was bleeding from her arm, she must have hit a shard of glass when Steve knocked her down and Pietro was seething, “You’ll pay for that.” He spat out before scooping Wanda but in his arms and speeding them out of there.

Steve’s eyes caught Tony’s; his brow furrowed. This wasn’t meant to happen. Wanda and Pietro had never really been a threat to them. He had to fix it.

Natasha was helping Bruce to his feet and Thor was helping Clint up, the living room was a mess of glass and rubble.

“What the hell was that?” Bruce demanded as he righted his glasses, “Are they Hydra?”

Steve shook his head, “They’re kids.”

“Sorry, Cap, but they’re pretty powerful for kids.” Natasha commented.

Thor nodded, “Not to mention they seem to have something against, Stark.”

“Don’t look at me. I’ve never met them before in my life.” Tony shot back.

Clint frowned, “How did they even get powers?”

“Hydra experiment.” Steve answered, “They volunteered just like I did.”

Bruce looked confused, “We’re not at war, why would they volunteer for something like that?”

“Because they are.” Steve replied grimly, “We need to get out of here, lay low. They know where we are now. They will try again.”

Tony was trying to catch his eye, but Steve refused to meet it, they couldn’t do this now.

Clint was the one to reply, “I know somewhere safe. Off shield records. It’ll give us a day or two to figure this out.”

-

The farmhouse where Clint lived was exactly how Steve remembered it. Large porch, acres of fields and a calm tranquillity that instantly seemed to relieve the tension of his team. Laura was just as shocked to see them as the rest of the team were to learn she and the kids existed. All except Steve and Natasha, who greeted her niece and nephew eagerly.

As soon as the family dinner was out of the way Steve excused him to the bedroom Laura had let him and Tony use. They had the guest bedroom, Natasha and Bruce had the attic and Thor had the couch at his own request.

Steve had held himself tense since the attack and he felt the ache of it in his shoulders as he slumped into the chair in the corner of the room and tried to just breathe. This was all wrong and he needed to fix it. When Thanos came he needed Wanda on their team. Pietro as well if he could convince him.

In the original timeline they had learnt Tony had changed his ways and that prompted them to help the Avengers, but how was Steve going to prove that Tony wasn’t the man they thought he was in this timeline without the disaster of Sokovia to bring them together?

Tony shuffled into the room an hour later, Steve was still sitting in that chair, his mind reeling.

“Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Hydra lab rats, from Sokovia. They take part in a lot of protests against superheroes and governments. Doesn’t explain why they hate me though; I’m guessing you can fill in that blank?” Tony asked as he sat himself down on the edge of the bed.

Steve sighed, “Your weapons fell into a lot of the wrong hands. In the hands of one of those people, a Stark missile was fired at Sokovia, a whole bunch of them, back when Sokovia had their own civil war happening.” He paused, trying to catch Tony’s eyes, “A Stark missile killed their parents, Tony, and left them buried in rubble for days before they were found.”

Tony’s eyes were wide, “I didn’t know. Steve, I swear, as soon as I knew what my weapons were being used for, I shut it down.”

“I know.” Steve promised, “Sweetheart, I know. In my timeline this doesn’t happen. They work with Ultron but when he threatens to raise Sokovia to the ground Wanda and Pietro switch to our side, they help us save the city.”

“What changed?”

Steve sighed, “No Ultron, that was what united them with us and led them to understanding you had changed.”

“So, what do we do now?” Tony asked gently.

“I need you to track them. Find out where they are.” Steve responded, “They’re important, Tony. Wanda’s important in what happens next.”

“They hate me.”

Steve held out a hand for Tony to take, “They don’t know you.”

Tony huffed out a laugh, “Well, I think we messed this one up.”

“We’ll fix it. Together.”

There was a paused, Tony’s gaze on their hands as he spoke, “And then what? After we fix it? After we stop all of this?”

Steve frowned, “I don’t understand.”

“Will you go back to your own timeline?” Tony asked bluntly, “It’s okay if you do. Your friends are there. Bucky’s there.”

“Tony, I don’t even have a way to get back. I gave me device and Pym particles to my other self when I let him go back to the 40s.” Steve said softly.

Tony unlocked their fingers, “I’d rebuild it if you wanted me to. My other self figured out time travel so I’m pretty sure I can do the same.”

Steve frowned, “Why would you offer me that?”

“Because I don’t want you to stay here because you feel like you have to. You came here to save me, once that’s done… Mission completed, Captain.” Tony sighed and Steve understood. Tony was worried if given the choice Steve wouldn’t choose him. He’d never seen the vulnerable side to Tony until now, the side that wanted to live in the moment so badly because he was afraid he wouldn’t get a next one.

Steve slid off the chair, crouching down to place his hands on Tony’s knees, “Tony…”

Tony cut him off, “People don’t stick around, Steve and it’s okay if you don’t either. Travelling to a different timeline to save my life is enough. This thing we’re exploring between us is enough.”

“I didn’t plan on this. On us, when I came here. I wanted to fix things. To save you.” Steve replied, “I didn’t plan on anything after that because I was so focused on all the things I needed to change to get to that moment.” Steve replied, “But this thing with you. I didn’t enter into it lightly; I knew what I was doing and I know what I want…”

Tony put a hand over his mouth to silence him, “Just don’t. Save it. Think on it. Tell me after we adopt another couple of superheroes together.” Tony chuckled, “Just please, think about all your options. I need you to be sure, Steve.”

Steve nodded against his palm, “Okay.”

He was sure, it didn’t matter what Tony was offering to build for him. His place was right alongside Tony, whether they were sleeping together or not. He’d have stayed in this timeline even if Tony hated him because that was better than being in a timeline where Tony Stark just didn’t exist anymore.

-

Between Tony and Bruce, they managed to create Vision much in the same way they did before, even using a little power boost from Thor to spark life into the cradle. There was no fighting over Tony’s motivates this time, no lies or doubt. It was better this way.

Tony had even set up a tracker to scan for images of Wanda or Pietro through CCTV so if they revealed themselves then the Avengers would know about it. Steve still felt like he should be doing more.

He spent his days worrying about how this was all going to play out and his nights curled around Tony, wanting to offer him everything he could if he believed that Steve wasn’t going to leave him because Tony’s past had shown up again. Steve had chosen him, even before they got together. Coming to this timeline, trying to make a difference. Steve had done that because he’d chosen a life with Tony over one without him.

He just needed to make Tony see that.

They had moved back to the tower after a few days at Clint’s farmhouse. Hiding wasn’t going to help and if Tony was ever going to build Vision then he’d need his own lab. Besides, a part of Steve wanted to be out in the open, so Wanda and Pietro found them. It was the only chance he had for trying to get them to join the Avengers.

“We need to buy a new facility.” Steve said as he walked into Tony’s workshop, “There should be one on the market. Upstate New York. You turn it into an Avengers Compound and we’ll need the space soon.”

Tony barely looked up from his specs, “New compound, got it. As soon as I install Friday to replace Jarvis I’ll have her find the right one.”

“Does it bother you? That I know all of this stuff?” Steve asked as he crossed his arms.

The genius shrugged, “It’s kind of helpful actually. I hate real estate business.”

“Tony.”

He looked up at him then, “It doesn’t bother me that you’re from the future, Steve. It just worries me that you might feel like you don’t belong here because things aren’t happening the way you think they will.”

Steve was about to protest, to assure Tony that was exactly what he was hoping for when he stayed in the past but before he could form the sentence Thor poked his head into the workshop, “Friends. You might want to see this.”

They walked up to the mess that was still the living room in the tower. Clint, Natasha and Bruce were already there as they studied a piece of paper in Natasha’s hand.

Steve frowned, “What’s that?”

“A demand.” Natasha responded grimly.

“What for?” Tony chipped in, walking over to read over her shoulder.

Natasha sighed and read the note aloud for everyone, “We just want Stark. The rest of you are free to go about your lives. Tony Stark will meet us in Sokovia, City Plaza. Two days from now, 12pm. Come alone.”

“It’s from the super twins.” Clint added, “But it’s ridiculous because we’re not going to agree to it.”

Tony looked at Steve, “Yes, we are.” He said firmly, “I’ll agree to it. I’ll go and meet them.”

“Tony, they don’t want to have a nice chat about weapons dealing. They want to kill you.” Natasha replied.

Steve grabbed the note from her, messy handwriting with loopy letters and swirls. Wanda’s handwriting, “That’s why we’re going with him.”

“Steve, you can’t be serious.” Bruce cut in.

Thor clapped him on the back, “They want a fight, we’ll give them one.”

“No,” Steve replied, “This isn’t going to be a fight because we’re going to talk them down. They’re kids and they’re angry and they’re scared. They need our help.”

Tony nodded, “I made some mistakes with my company back then and I’ll own up to them but if we make these guys the villains in this story then we’ll be making an even bigger one.”

Steve could have kissed Tony in that moment, for his trust, for his support. He beamed at him, hoping Tony could read everything he held in his eyes, “Two days. We need a plan.”

By the time they were arriving in Sokovia everyone had their job to do. Two teams. One made up of Clint, Bruce and Thor to go after Pietro and talk him down if they could. Arrest him if they couldn’t. Steve and Natasha were going after Wanda. Steve knew he had a better chance of reaching out to her. Tony was the distraction; he would arrive in the Plaza alone and split the twins up when things started to go south. It would be easier to talk to them separately.

Steve waited, hiding around the corner with Nat for them to arrive. He had clear eyes on Tony in his suit and sunglasses as he checked his watch waiting for the twins to show. He didn’t have to wait long.

Pietro and Wanda approached him from a side street, a united front but still just kids. They weren’t Ultron. Steve watched as Tony tried to talk to them, he saw Pietro getting angry and Wanda getting upset and he knew this situation wasn’t going to end well. Tony was always good with words and he managed to get them to listen to him at least, Steve knew Tony was telling them that he’d changed, the company was better, he was better. He wanted them to believe it. To see it in the brown of Tony’s eyes.

Then it happened, Tony tapped the arc reactor on his chest and his body was covered by the armour in a second. He had Pietro by the arm before the twins knew what was happening and he launched into the sky with Pietro in his grip. Wanda screamed in anger, throwing a bolt of red at Tony. The shot knocked him off kilter and sent him and Pietro sailing through the air.

This was Steve’s chance.

He ran into the Plaza, Nat hot on his heels as Wanda saw him. She raised her hands ready to attack and Steve raised his ready to surrender. Nat still had her gun aimed on Wanda.

“Please.” Steve tried, “Wanda, I just want to talk.”

“Why should I listen?” She asked, a dangerous glint to her voice.

Steve made sure all his movements were slow and non-threatening. This had to work. He gently pushed Natasha’s gun down and he took a step towards Wanda, “Because you don’t want to do this.”

She sneered, “You’re wrong, Captain. Stark took everything from me.”

“Would your parents be proud to see you now?” Steve asked, “Would they want you to do this?”

“You don’t even know them!” Wanda burst out, sparks pricking at her fingers.

Steve took another step forward, “But I know you. You don’t want to hurt people, Wanda. You were made to be a weapon for Hydra but that’s not what you are. You do this, you kill Tony and you’ll be the bad guy.”

The sparks vanished but Wanda didn’t move an inch, “What does that make him?”

“Flawed.” Steve responded, “We all are. We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of. We’ve all made mistake we wish we could fix. Those things don’t have to define you, Wanda. Tony isn’t letting them define him. He tries to do better every day; I promise you that. He’s changed.”

“I don’t believe you.” She shook her head.

Steve stood another step closer; he could see the shake in her hands now, “We can help you, Pietro too. You can come with us; you can learn to control your powers. You can work with us. Be someone people look up to.”

“They’ll fear us. They won’t understand.” Wanda whispered; her eyes glassy.

Steve sighed, “You can’t control their fear, but you can control your own. This moment, right here, you get to decide.”

Wanda shook her head, “You’re lying!” The red sparks were back and angrier than ever. Natasha had her gun cocked up in seconds.

“Nat!” Steve shouted at her, but she kept her gun up. Wanda’s powers were curling around her palm and down her wrist now, “No, wait!” Steve’s eyes were on Wanda now, holding her gaze, “Wanda please. You think I’m lying but I can prove I’m not. You’re going to be amazing; you’re going to be strong and sure and happy. I can prove it.”

Wanda frowned, “How?”

“Look inside my head,” Steve said, “Use your power. You’ll see my intentions, won’t you? You’ll see if I’m lying.”

“Steve, that’s a bad idea.” Natasha quipped from behind him.

Steve shook his head, “No it’s not because I believe she won’t hurt me.”

He took another few steps towards her, his movements slow and cautious. Wanda stood up straighter, closing the distance between them, “You’d let me inside your mind?”

“Have at it.” Steve replied, “It’s got to be a better option than this.”

Wanda’s eyes searched his for something, she was so young and afraid. Steve could see it now. This shell she was living as, nothing like the girl he once knew who taught herself guitar over the course of three days and loved to cook. She brought a hand up to his temple, the barest brush of cold fingers against his skin as she weaved her magic into his head. Steve watched her close her eyes and he did the same, focusing on pushing the good stuff her way.

The moments where she was everything she hoped she could be. Training sessions with him where she learnt a new move and gave him a five high. The times he caught her cooking with Vision in the kitchen. The moments on the run when she’d make coffee and they’d sit and talk about all the mistakes they wished they could change. Steve gave her all of it. The moment she arrived on the battlefield in Wakanda, a powerhouse of a young woman. A friend. A member of his family.

When Wanda pulled back there were tears in her eyes and her face was searching Steve’s, “How? How is that possible?”

“If you come with me, you’ll find out.” Steve replied.

“You hide it well but there is sorrow there too. So much sadness and pain. How do you stand it?” She asked and Steve knew she was thinking about her own grief.

He put a hand on her shoulder, “You surround yourself with good people.”

Wanda relaxed under his palm, she believed him. She believed there was another way. He gave her a smile. A small step. She let her hands fall to her sides.

“Get your hands off her!” Pietro shouted, blood on his temple as he sped over to Wanda and scooped her up.

“Pietro wait,” Wanda pleaded from her brother’s arms.

He shook his head, eyes on Steve, “This isn’t going to work. We’ll find another way.” They vanished in a blur of sped.

Tony and Clint sped around the corner into the clearing, “I should have just put an arrow in him.” Clint muttered.

“Damn it.” Steve swore.

He was so close.

-

He couldn’t stop thinking about the events of the Plaza, Tony was asleep in their bed. Natasha and Bruce were still in the Tower somewhere. Thor had gone to Asgard and Clint had gone home for a few days, but Steve couldn’t count this as a win. They shouldn’t be out there alone; they were meant to be here.

Vision was floating about somewhere, learning new things questioning everything. Wanda had been the one to help him with that, they were both new to the Avengers and that’s how their bond had started. Was this another thing Steve had messed up? There was no telling the damage to the timeline having the twins out there would cause.

“Moving day isn’t for a few days, you know. Plenty of time to say goodbye to your desk.” Tony’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

He was leaning against the doorframe of Steve’s office, in just his boxers and a vest. He had clearly just gotten out of their bed. Steve had left Tony sleeping only an hour ago when he couldn’t find sleep himself.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.” Steve smiled tiredly.

Tony ruffled his hair, “The twins?”

“We did this one wrong, Tony.” Steve sighed, “I can’t shake it.”

“We’ll find them. You said Wanda believed you. So, she’ll started wondering and asking her own questions and when that time comes, she’ll find you, Steve.” Tony replied, “We just have to play the long game on this one. Not a bad thing, we need to set up the new compound before we start giving new recruits free rooms.”

Steve nodded, “Speaking of new recruits. There’s this kid in Queens.”

“Are you honestly bringing home more strays?” Tony jested as he walked over to Steve.

“This one’s yours. His name is Peter. He’s going to be important to you, okay? Really important. I need you to talk to him about joining the Avengers.”

Tony frowned, “What does he do?”

“He’s Spiderman.”

“Christ, with a name like that maybe the kid does need me.” Tony replied, he pushed Steve’s hands out of the way, straddling his lap in the chair as his hands gripping the back of the seat for balance.

Steve’s hands went to Tony’s waist, “Trust me, this you need to do.” He leaned down to place a kiss on Tony’s shoulder.

“I trust you.” Tony hummed.

Steve pulled back to look at him, “Good because I need you to trust me on something else as well.”

“What’s that?”

“That I want to be here, with you. That’s my choice. Even if you gave me a time machine I still wouldn’t want to go back because my life, my home. It’s here now with you. I love you, Tony. Right here, this moment, I love you. Whatever happens we’ll deal with, but I need you to know that I’m here. I’m always going be here.” Steve insisted, eyes never leaving Tony’s.

Tony smiled wide, “Did you just?”

“I love you.” Steve repeated with a smile.

“You told me you loved me in the middle of the night whilst we’re sharing your desk chair?” Tony asked with a smirk.

Steve chuckled, “What, are you a ‘roses and champagne’ guy now?”

“No, I’m a ‘you told me you loved me so you can guarantee we’re about to have very filthy sex in this chair’ kind of guy.” Tony replied.

Steve smiled, “That’s my man.”

“I love you too, by the way.” Tony whispered, leaning down to kiss Steve.

“Just come here.” Steve said as he pulled Tony down to him fiercely.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been eight months since the mess in Sokovia and the twins had seemingly gone underground. There wasn’t a trace of them anywhere although Tony still kept Friday running a scan of CCTV and satellites for them, but they were smart. They stayed out of large cities, mostly sticking to the borders to avoid being detected. Steve wasn’t prepared to give up though, they couldn’t stay hidden forever and if they were still angry at Tony then they must have been planning something.

Tony was currently in the workshop with Peter, working on some Spiderman suit upgrades and Steve could only smile at the thought of them both covered in grease and excitedly chatting about things Steve had no idea about. Tony had instantly liked Peter the second he went to Queens to recruit him and he even went so far as to give the younger avenger a small corner in his workshop in the compound with a desk for his own projects.

Steve could spend hours just watching them with their easy back and forth, the laughter from Peter and the teasing from Tony. At least their relationship was something that went right. Tony was already protective over the young Spiderman and Steve knew there was nothing Tony wouldn’t do to try and help him if Peter asked. It was a heart-warming thing, seeing Tony in a paternal role. It also brought a small amount of guilt to Steve because that automatically made him think of Morgan and how he’d changed things too much. He couldn’t let Tony go now, not after these years together. That was a guilt he’d have to make room for.

“I’m telling you Steve, that kid is going to be the best of us.” Tony exclaimed with a wide beam as he entered their room, “He’s a little young maybe and having some girl trouble but every bit an Avenger.”

Steve frowned, “Girl trouble?”

“This girl he is crazy about and I mean like me about you type of crazy. He wants to tell her how he feels but he doesn’t know how.” Tony sighed and flopping face down on the bed next to Steve.

“What did you tell him?”

Tony lifted his head up, “That he should try to kiss her, put himself in danger and get beaten to a pulp and then admit how he feels whilst he was in a hospital bed.”

Steve nudged him with an elbow, “You did not tell him that.”

“Of course not,” Tony smirked, “I told him to just tell her. She’d be lucky to have him.”

“I know I’m lucky to have you.” Steve replied with an easy smile, “So is he.”

Tony hummed, “He’s a good kid. I’m just trying to give him some support.”

“It’s nice,” Steve sighed, “Seeing you two together like that.”

“Well I’m glad you said that, he’s coming over for dinner tomorrow night.” Tony replied.

Steve frowned, “Tomorrow’s Friday. Peter comes for dinner every Monday night.”

Tony shrugged, “What can I say? The kid loves your cooking.”

“Tony.”

“He also needs your help with his history assignment.” Tony admitted, “World War 2 and all that. But pretend I haven’t told you, okay? He’s bringing you a sandwich after school tomorrow to bribe you into helping him. Act surprised.”

Steve smiled, “I would have helped without the bribe.”

“He knows that.” Tony laughed, “I think he’s hoping you’ll let him keep the sandwich.”

“When did we start co-parenting a teenager?” Steve asked with a smile.

Tony returned it, stretching out on the bed, “Around about the time we started a halfway house for Avengers.”

“What time are you leaving tomorrow?” Steve asked.

“Early, around eight, I think. Nat’s coming with me. The summit shouldn’t take too long, so I’ll be home for dinner. You know what Ross is like, if we don’t turn up then I’ll never hear the end of it.” Tony replied, nuzzling closer to Steve, resting his head on Steve’s stomach.

Steve did know what Ross was like, but he also knew he was being irrational, there was no Sokovia incident in this timeline, nor in Lagos so there wouldn’t be any accords. He’d done it. He stopped the Avengers from being torn apart. He sighed, weaving a hair into Tony’s hair.

What could possibly go wrong?

As it turned out, Steve found out the next day. He was sitting at the kitchen table with Peter whilst the boy asked him questions about the war and tried to furiously scribble down everything Steve was saying into his notebook. There was a pot of beef stew bubbling away on the stove for dinner and Tony was meant to be home in a few hours from the summit so they could eat.

“How did sleeping work out?” Peter asked, “Like you slept right? Or do you not need sleep because of the serum?”

Steve laughed, “I’m not a vampire, Peter. I still need sleep. In the war we had tents in our packs if we were on mission. If we were at base, then we had barracks. It was always cramped though; I’m talking about 12 or 14 men to a room.”

Peter wrinkled his nose, “That must have smelt bad.”

Steve’s phone chirped from its spot on the table and Steve reached for it, “It’s probably Tony.” He told Peter, scanning the message on the screen. It wasn’t from Tony. It was from Nat: **Turn on the news. We’re fine.**

He frowned at the text and immediately pushed himself away from the table, “Friday, play the news reel please.”

Friday displayed the screen in front of him, the footage of smoke and fire billowing out of a building. Emergency services were already there, helping people clear the area. The bottom headline read: Anti Hero protesters bomb UN summit. Steve felt his heart in his mouth as he watched the fire blaze and a few more people being led out of the building.

“Is Tony…” Peter’s voice was barely a whisper.

Steve forced his gaze over to Peter, “Nat texted, he’s okay.” He promised.

“He doesn’t have the suit.” Peter pointed out, “He’s still working on the upgrade.”

Steve leaned over and ruffled Peter’s hair which made the boy smile, “He’s okay, Peter.”

The news was still breaking in the background as a reporter came onto the screen, “Breaking news here at the UN summit today. Anti-Hero protesters launched a bomb into the building which had two members of the Avengers in attendance. Both Black Widow and Tony Stark’s Iron Man were caught in the blast. We have been told they are both okay and are helping to secure the building. Three deaths are reported so far, one of which was the King of Wakanda who was also in attendance. No word from Wakanda at this time but T’Chaka’s son was with him today, he is unharmed and expected to take over him his father.”

Steve swallowed the bile in his throat and felt his hands clench into fists under the table.

-

General Ross called them into the UN the next morning and Steve could feel the unease in his stomach. Tony and Nat were both fine, nothing but cuts and bruises but the death count of the bombing at the Summit had reached 21 people and Steve knew Ross would want someone to answer for that.

They were currently sat around a table, Tony’s hand in his underneath it while Natasha, Vision and Clint all took the other seats. Thor was still away on Asgard and Bruce was currently on a spiritual retreat in India although he was getting the next flight back to New York after hearing what happened.

“I’m just going to cut to the chase,” Ross grumbled, “This is a goddamn mess. 21 dead, thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. These Anti-Hero protesters are getting louder by the day, they aren’t going away. This proves that so we need to do something drastically before the next bomb they set off kills someone else.”

Steve frowned, “What are you suggesting?”

“These people don’t like heroes because they think you’re dangerous. Some of you operate outside the law and for your own agendas. We need to put a stop to that.” Ross replied.

Natasha cut in, “We operate to make the world safer. To deal with the threats the government can’t.”

“But the Avengers aren’t the only heroes out there.” Ross shot back, he pushed a file across the table and Tony let go of Steve’s hand to grab it. He flipped through the pages and Steve could see the pictures of Wanda and Pietro staring back at him, “Those twins are at the top of that list of dangerous individuals. They’re young, they have powers they can’t hope to control, and they use those powers for themselves. The world might see you as heroes, but I guarantee you, they don’t see these two in the same way.”

“You want us to bring them in?” Clint asked.

Ross shook his head, “We’re past that now. The UN council has decided we need something more. A registration act that forces superheroes to sign up their identities, document their powers or abilities and go on a file that assesses their potential threat level.”

“And when that act deems someone too dangerous?” Steve demanded, the anger brimming inside his chest.

“We’re building a holding facility, somewhere safe where these people can’t hurt anyone or themselves.” Ross responded, “Everyone who isn’t a threat will operate within the parameters set by the Council. They’ll decide which threats are the ones you guys are needed for.”

Tony sighed, shoving the file away from him, “And you want us to graciously volunteer to be the first to sign up.”

“It will look better on you if you do.” Ross agreed, “This faction of Anti-Hero protesters need to see that we’re doing something. That we can protect them from the unchecked power people like you can possess. They need to feel safe. Having a record of everyone with powers and monitoring their threat level helps us protect them before the issue gets too bad.”

“No.” Steve bit out, “We aren’t signing that. I’m not signing that. Why do people like you never learn? We sign that, we force everyone with abilities onto a list and all we’re doing is giving those people a target. If that list falls into the wrong hands it could be a slaughter.”

Ross sighed, “That list will be held by the Council, only a handful of people will have access.”

“And who decides if they’re the right people?” Steve challenged. History just seemed to be going around in circles. Without Sokovia, without the accords, something else just seemed to fill the gap. He looked over at Tony now, trying to read his face. If Tony agreed to sign this registration act, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. He couldn’t go against Tony again, but he also couldn’t sign something he knew was wrong. He thought about Wanda then, that lost girl with so much power. Would Ross’ list deem her a threat? Would he have her locked in the raft forever because he wouldn’t allow her the chance to learn how to control her power?

“God knows I get the weight of responsibility when someone likes us messes up,” Tony started, “I’ve messed up and it cost me. But Steve’s right, I can’t sign something that will cause people with powers to get shot in the street if they are deemed too dangerous. You’re right, Ross, they aren’t always the heroes but sometimes they are. Those are the kind of people we want protecting the earth, not going on the run in fear of being prosecuted for something they have no control over.”

Steve felt the relief rush through him, grabbing Tony’s hand again and giving it a squeeze.

Ross frowned, “This act will get passed at the summit next week whether you approve of it or not, Stark.”

“All you’re doing is fuelling their hate, General.” Vision cut in, “This won’t bring peace, it will show them the government fears superheroes just as much as they do. What we need to do is show them that they have no reason to be afraid of us. To remind them that when something bigger comes, we’re the ones laying down our lives for them.”

Steve stood up, “Vision’s right. You want to push this; you go right ahead and when the time comes for a bigger threat? For the time when everything waiting up there comes crashing down here, planning on destroying everything you love, just remember that you made the wrong choice here today. You had the chance to do the right thing, to show that the safest hands are still our own and you chose your own ignorance.”

Steve left the room, knowing his team were right behind him. Without any of the Avengers agreeing to this it would cause Ross some difficulty to sell it to everyone else, but he would keep trying, Steve knew, that’s what he did before.

Tony caught up with him, his hand sliding into Steve’s palm, “Okay, that was really hot.” He whispered loud enough for Steve to hear.

Steve frowned, “He’ll keep trying to push this, Tony.”

“And we’ll stop him. We’re on the same side of this thing. We’ll find a way to make this better, Steve. A way to appease the government and make sure everyone is safe.” Tony promised.

“Until then everyone with powers is in danger.” Steve responded, “You need to call Peter.”

Tony nodded, “I already texted him in the meeting. Told him to grab a bag and tell Aunt May it’s an internship weekend. He’s staying with us at the compound until this thing is over. The last thing I want is someone to try and take a shot at Spiderman.”

“Okay, good.” Steve sighed, “You should get home, make sure Bruce knows what’s happening.”

“What are you going to be doing?” Tony asked.

Steve smiled, “I have to go see a King.”

Tony leaned up to kiss him briefly and Steve couldn’t help but crush Tony to him to deepen it. It could have gone differently in that room today, Steve knew, Tony could have stood against him, but he didn’t. They were still together.

“Get a room.” Natasha teased from behind them.

Tony broke the kiss with a smirk, “You can always walk home, Romanoff.”

Steve’s phone started ringing then, the noise from his pocket making him frown, “I’ll see you at home. Clint, fancy a trip?”

The archer nodded, “Count me in.”

The number on the screen was unknown and Steve answered it with confusion, “Hello?”

“Steve?” The voice was scared and tinny, but Steve knew it.

His heart clenched in his chest, “Wanda?”

“You have to help us, please. Pietro, he’s bleeding. He’s been shot and I don’t know what to do. We can’t go to a hospital, they’ll find us.” Wanda was frantic and sounded so much younger than she was.

Steve sighed, “Tell me where you are. I’ll come to you.”

-

There were in the middle of nowhere. A deserted cluster of houses mainly used for military training about 20 miles outside of Sokovia. Steve and Clint took the jet and managed to get there in under four hours. Steve knew he could be walking into a trap but there was something in the desperate note to Wanda’s voice that he knew meant she was telling the truth. A scared edge that made her think she was going to lose the last bit of family she had left.

She met them off the jet, her hands were stained red with blood and she had a cut on her forehead that had stopped bleeding but otherwise she looked unhurt.

Steve and Clint walked over to her, “Where is he?” Steve asked, truthfully, he didn’t know what he was going to do. He had little medical experience and Clint’s was probably worse, but he’d deal with that plan later.

“Over here, I left him in the shack for cover before I came to meet you.” Wanda replied, already walking back the way she came. Steve kept pace with her easily. “Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure if you would.”

Steve sighed, “You saw my mind, you knew I’d help.”

Wanda nodded, “I suppose I did.”

Pietro was in a weather-beaten shack that had probably once been a shed. It was rusted and damp, but he probably didn’t take any notice. He was sweating, barely lucid when Steve crouched over him. Two bullets were still lodged in his stomach, oozing blood out sluggishly. Steve peeled his top up for a better look. The wounds were red and angry, Pietro hissed when Steve touched the edge of the biggest one.

“How did you get here?” Clint asked as he dropped the medical kit from the jet by Steve.

Wanda sighed, “We’ve been on the run for months. Moving from place to place. We stayed in a few cities for a while, but we have no money, when people saw our powers, they grew scared of us. Of me.”

“They thought you were dangerous.” Clint nodded.

“They called me a witch.” Wanda snarled.

Steve was applying pressure to Pietro’s wound, trying to bandage it up as best as he could. He needed to get those bullets out, but he couldn’t do that here, “Who did this?” He asked, not looking up from his work.

It was Pietro that answered, voice thick and slow, “Americans. Military. They’re hunting us.”

Steve looked over his shoulder at Clint. Ross was behind this, he had mentioned the twins in their meeting, about how dangerous they were. He was already trying to bring them in for the registration act. He ordered men to shoot at these kids. Steve could feel that anger in his chest return, “I’m sorry. This isn’t right. I promise you; we’ll fix this.”

“Steve, how’s he looking?” Clint asked gently.

Steve sighed and stood up, bandage in place and blood on his hands, “I think it’s infected. We need to get those bullets out.”

“We can’t take him to hospital.” Wanda shot in.

“I know.” Steve frowned, “We can’t take him home either.”

Clint ran a hand through his hair, “Well, unless you have a super-secret hideout, Cap, we’re running low on options. We can’t let him bleed out in the middle of nowhere.”

Steve grit his teeth, he knew that, he bent back over to Pietro then, “This is going to hurt but we’re going to get you help. I need you to trust me.”

Pietro looked at him for a moment, his eyes going to Wanda, “She does. That’s good enough for me.”

Steve nodded and as gently as possible lifted Pietro into his arms and stood up. Pietro groaned, the movement jostling him too much and Steve could feel the hand tightly wound in the back of his uniform, “Clint, start the jet.”

“We’re going somewhere?” He asked.

“Wakanda, I’ll give you the coordinates as we go.” Steve replied, carrying Pietro outside.

He’d seen the technological advances T’Challa had, he’s seen what Shuri could do. If they had any hope of Pietro surviving, then it was in Wakanda. The only problem was T’Challa didn’t know him yet.

-

Pietro fell unconscious before they touched down, Wanda gripping his hand and whispering softly to him. The boy was almost grey, still bleeding from his wounds and sweating through his shirt. As soon as they breached Wakanda’s airspace they were surrounded by T’Challa’s men. They had barely landed before men were surrounding them on the ground and ordering them to surrender.

Steve waited until he saw T’Challa come out, Blank Panther uniform in place, and then he exited the jet with his hands raised.

“I’m not a threat!” He called out, “I need help. I have a man in need of medical attention on this jet.”

It was T’Challa that spoke, pushing his way to the front of his men, “How did you find this place?”

“My name is Steve Rogers. I’m an Avenger.” He started.

“I don’t care who you are.” T’Challa shot back.

Steve nodded, “Okay, then care about the kid on this jet that will bleed to death if you don’t agree to help him. I can explain everything, arrest me, but please treat him.”

T’Challa studied him carefully, searching for something. He held up a hand, “Take the boy to Shuri. I’ll talk to the Captain.”

Steve sighed in relief, nodding his thanks to the King. The men around them dispersed, some moving to help Clint carry Pietro through to the Palace, with Wanda right behind them. Steve stayed where he was.

“I do not know how you came to find this place, but it would be wise to forget about it as soon as your friend is well enough to leave.” T’Challa warned him.

Steve took a step closer, “I wish I could, but the UN is trying to pass a law that makes everyone sign up their identities if they possess abilities like ours. They do this and everyone will be in danger. Especially you.”

“Why especially me?”

“Because you’ve kept this place hidden for so long. All your technological advances. The Vibranium. You’re not the third world country you claim to be and if the UN finds out they’ll see you as a threat. Something tells me you don’t war with the US. Even though you could probably win it.” Steve replied.

T’Challa smiled, “You have a better idea?”

“Help me build something better.” Steve imploded, “You’re a King, if you bring an alternative to the table that you support as the Black Panther, as a King and a superhero, the UN will have to consider it. We can create something better than this suffering.”

“If I agree to that, I will be agreeing to bring Wakanda out of the shadows.” T’Challa replied.

Steve nodded, “Well, maybe it’s time.”

“Steve!” Clint’s voice shouted out, the archer running towards him, “It’s not looking good in there.”

He looked over at T’Challa, waiting for the man’s nod of approval before he ran over to Clint, letting the archer lead him into the Palace and down to Shuri’s lab.

“You have to save him!” He heard Wanda’s plea before he saw her, rushing into the room to see Pietro on the table, scans of his body and the bullet on the screens behind him. Shuri was talking to Wanda, trying to console her.

Steve walked over to them, “What’s wrong?”

“They’re letting him die.” Wanda shouted in Shuri’s direction.

“The bullets have done too much damage.” Shuri responded, “I can remove the first one but the second fragmented when it hit, two of those fragments are bleeding into his stomach, another one is near his kidney. If I try to take them out he’ll bleed out faster. Not to mention the infection that’s growing rapidly. His body is failing, he’s too weak.”

Steve understood what she was saying, “He’s dying.”

“I’m very sorry.” Shuri sighed, “I’ve made him comfortable. He’s awake but…”

Steve nodded, “But it’s a matter of time.”

She looked down in sadness and Wanda shook her head, “No, I can’t, I can’t lose him.” Wanda sobbed, “I can’t…”

Steve pulled her to him, crushing her against his chest as she sobbed into his t-shirt. Her legs gave way and it was all Steve could do to support her weight and keep her upright, “It’s okay, Wanda. I’m sorry.”

“If I don’t have Pietro then I don’t have anything.” She whispered.

Steve squeezed her, “You have us. You have us.” Over her head his eyes locked with Clint’s, “Call Tony, get him here, Vision too.”

Clint nodded and slipped outside to make the call. Steve stayed where he was, watching Wanda’s heart break and her sobs die down. She was too young to suffer this. She pulled back when she was all cried out, pushing Steve away from her, “I need to be alone with him.”

“Are you sure?” Steve didn’t want her going through this alone.

“It’s always been just the two of us.” Wanda replied and walked away from him, heading towards Pietro and taking his hand, “Leave me.”

Steve nodded and did as she asked.

-

It was four hours later when Tony and Vision arrived. Steve was sitting slumped against the wall outside Shuri’s lab with Clint against the other wall, Wanda hadn’t come out yet. They had no idea what was happening. They just had to wait.

“Hey,” Tony whispered dropping down next to him, “You did everything you could.”

Steve sighed, “I didn’t do enough.”

Tony sat next to him, their shoulders touching, “It was a bullet, Steve. You couldn’t have known.”

“I thought I could change it, but Pietro still dies.” Steve replied, “Maybe I can’t save anyone, maybe…” He dropped his voice so Clint wouldn’t hear, “I can’t save you or Nat either.”

“Stop.” Tony ordered, “I don’t know why this happened, but it wasn’t your fault. You’ve changed a lot, maybe this one just wasn’t something you could control.”

Steve closed his eyes, “She’s so young.”

“She’ll be with us.” Tony told him, “She won’t be alone.”

Steve tried to make peace with that answer, he really did.

Pietro Maximoff died two hours later from his injuries, Wanda came out just after that with red eyes and grief etched into her bones. All eyes were on her as she walked out.

“He’s gone.” She whispered brokenly.

Everyone got to their feet, awkwardly standing around not sure what to say, “We’re here for whatever you need, Wanda.” Steve told her gently.

Tony nodded, “We’ll put this right. His death won’t be for nothing. Ross won’t get away with this.”

“Get away with it? He’ll burn for this.” Wanda vowed, “I’ll tear his heart out.”

Steve sighed, “Wanda, no. That’s not the way to deal with this.”

“Do you know what it’s like to lose everything you love?” Wanda asked him, her eyes moving to Tony, “Do you?”

The red sparks of her power were curling over her fingers, her eyes turning a dark shade of red. “Wanda, stop.” Steve warned.

Wanda didn’t stop, getting closer to Tony, “Shall we find out?” Before Steve could move, she sent red wisps in Tony’s direction.

Steve watched as Tony’s eyes glazed over red, “Tony?” He called out gently.

Tony just blinked at him, then he launched himself at Steve, the surprise attack forcing him to the ground. Steve groaned, head hitting the floor of the corridor as Tony straddled him, fist tight as he brought it down onto Steve’s face. The impact sent him reeling, head snapping to the side, “Tony, stop.”

Tony brought his arm back and punched him again, hitting Steve’s jaw, “Tony, it’s Steve.” He gritted out, throwing Tony off him and getting to his feet, “It’s Steve.”

His words had no effect, Tony didn’t even look like he heard them as he charged for Steve again. Steve dodged it, backing away slowly.

“Cap, I can use an arrow?” Clint asked.

“No, don’t hurt him.” Steve ordered, “Tony, please, come on!”

Tony attacked again, pure rage in his eyes. Wanda’s rage. He punched Steve again, Steve spun him into a headlock to try and hold him still. His eyes found Wanda, watching them curiously, “Wanda, stop this. It’s not his fault.”

He got an elbow to the stomach and Tony wiggled free, spinning around to punch him again. This one drew blood; Steve could feel it drip down his nose. “Wanda, you’re hurting. I know how much Pietro meant to you,” Tony socked him on the jaw and Steve tasted blood, “But we’re on your side. We’re the only ones on your side right now.”

He threw Tony away from him, but Tony kept coming, this time the fist connected with his stomach and Steve doubled over. Tony kicked his leg and Steve fell to the ground. Tony was back on top of him in second, punching with both fists this time. His knuckles were red with Steve’s blood.

Steve watched the tears in Wanda’s eyes, the grief on her face. Then he turned back to Tony, the blank expression. Eyes so cold and distant. Steve took his hands off Tony, laying them flat at his sides. He watched Tony pause, clearly confused.

“I’m not going to fight you.” Steve told him, “I love you. It’s okay, I forgive you.”

Tony raised his fist to strike him again. “I love you.” Steve told him, “I love you, even when I have to drag you out of the lab because you haven’t eaten or showered in days. Even when you put your cold feet on me when you get into bed. Even when you don’t pick up a scrap of clothing you own. Even when you and Peter are teasing me about being old. Even when I’m mad at you. I love you.”

The fist fell down to his side, Tony’s eyes warm and brown and shocked. Wanda was full on sobbing now, muttering “I’m sorry” as Clint hugged her closely. Tony was still above him, looking at the blood on Steve’s face, the blood on his hands, “Steve?” His voice was weak, scared.

Steve smiled, then winced as it pulled at his cuts, “It’s okay.”

Tony shook his head, “Did I? I hurt you?” he was shaking, looking at his hands, “I didn’t mean, I couldn’t stop.”

“It’s okay.” Steve replied, pulling Tony down to him, “We’re all going to be okay.”

He had Tony cradled in his arms, he could feel the silent tears on his neck as he looked over at Wanda, “I didn’t. I just wanted you to know how it feels… I didn’t mean for.”

Steve held Tony tighter, “It’s okay, we’re going to help you control it.” He promised gently.

-

As it turned out T’Challa was better at politics then Steve ever realised. Him and Tony had worked back and forth on a new idea to present to the UN council in favour of the registration act and Steve was pretty proud of their hard work. His face had healed in days, Tony’s guilt lasted longer but Steve knew he’d take that over a fight in Siberia where he left Tony alone to freeze in a bunker. Maybe this was karma? He wasn’t sure, he promised Tony he forgave him, and he did. It wasn’t him. Wanda had apologised as well and was currently settling into the compound with Vision’s help. She was still quiet and guilty and grieving; she could barely look Tony in the eye, but she was here, and she was trying and that’s what was important.

She sat next to Steve at the summit with Vision on her other side. Tony and T’Challa were getting ready to give their address and all the Avengers were there to support it.

“This act is asking superheroes to be out in the open, to paint a target on their back and call it protection.” Tony addressed the council, ever the commanding figure, “It isn’t. It’s an invitation for murder.”

“What do you propose, Mr Stark.” Ross asked.

Tony slammed a file down on his desk, the same file he, Steve and T’Challa had spent days working on, “The Maximoff Act. An act which states that any type of register of this nature endangers the lives of powered people therefore is a war crime and a crime against the constitution. A free America where we aren’t free? Good luck trying to get Captain America to be your poster boy for that one.”

Steve smiled; Tony was good at this.

Ross hated every second, “What about the threats.”

“We understand the concern of the Council,” T’Challa replied, “So as part of the Maximoff Act we have agreed to a panel of individuals that need to assess threats as they develop, not before. The Avengers are the ones we call to deal with these threats when they arise so they should be the ones on the panel. They know what a world level threat looks like and they are the best ones to defend it.”

“And who sits on that panel? Tony Stark? The man who makes weapons for terrorists?” Ross shot back.

Tony frowned, “I’m in clean energy now but no. I can’t have a seat on the panel. The UN can have a say on who they want to make these calls, but the suggested candidates are T’Challa, Vision, Bruce Banner and Wanda Maximoff.”

Steve felt Wanda turn to face him, they hadn’t told her about the role on the council yet.

“You want to give that kind of power to a young woman more powerful than anyone in this room?” Ross laughed, “Are you crazy?”

“I want to give this power to something who knows what it’s like to be on the wrong side of it. Someone who understand exactly what the consequences are when a choice like this is made for other people.” Tony confirmed.

“I support this act; my people support this act.” T’Challa stood up then, “Wakanda will enter into this as a partnership. We bring technological advances, allies, support. This is a step in the right direction towards peace. If we ignore it, it won’t come again.”

Ross shook his head, “Why isn’t Captain America on this panel?”

Tony looked over at Steve before replying, “Because Captain America thinks this country needs work. He isn’t about to become the UN’s errand boy and pretend its patriotism. He supports this act, all the avengers support this act, the King of Wakanda and 113 other countries support this act. Captain America will fight for the world and I’ll be right alongside him when that time comes. All you guys need to do is get this bit right.”

They walked away with seven votes to one and a new panel of Avengers in place within the UN. Steve had never felt relief like it and when he got into bed with Tony that night, curled around him tightly as he placed a kiss on his shoulder, he knew he was moving towards his own personal peace.

“Marry me?” Steve whispered into his shoulder.

That got Tony’s attention, he whipped around to face Steve so fast Steve almost had to laugh at how comical it was.

“What did you just say?”

Steve kissed his lips, “Marry me?”

Tony whispered his yes against Steve’s lips as he dragged the super soldier over him with a contented hum and his legs wrapped around Steve’s waist.

This was peace, this moment right here.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve woke up to a sharp jab in his ribcage and Tony’s frantic shuffling against him in bed. He opened his eyes, the light filtering into their bedroom dim, casting shadows and shapes on the walls. It was still early morning, maybe about four or five but Tony was clearly in distress. He groaned out in his sleep and that had Steve on high alert, he shifted onto his side, running a hand down Tony’s chest to soothe him.

“Tony?” He called out gently, trying to bring him back from whatever nightmare was plaguing him.

The genius didn’t stir, only grimaced in his sleep and seemed to shudder, “No, please.” He called out, his voice thick with emotion, “No.”

Steve leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek, nuzzling closer to his ear, “Come back to me, sweetheart.”

Tony lashed out again, his nightmare making him frantic as he tried to pull away from Steve’s voice. Steve held firm though, his moves slow and calming, “Tony!” He called out louder this time and his lover bolted upright in bed.

Tony’s breaths were coming in thick gasps, hands fisted into the sheets. Steve rubbed his back, “Bad night?” He asked gently, sitting up next to him.

“I hurt you.” Tony whispered brokenly, “I always hurt you.”

Wanda’s little stunt. Tony had been having nightmares about it a lot and Steve knew how vivid they could be. He had those same nightmares after Siberia, the look in Tony’s eyes as he slammed the shield down. He shuffled closer, one hand playing with the hair on the back of Tony’s neck, “I’m here. You didn’t hurt me.”

Tony shuffled away from him, moving towards the edge of the bed until he had one leg hanging over the mattress with his foot on the floor. The space that opened up between them seemed like an ocean to Steve. Cold and empty and entirely too large but he didn’t try to move closer. The gap just taunted him from where he sat on his side of their bed, eyes never leaving Tony.

“It was like I was watching the whole thing, Steve, trapped in my own head whilst I hit you. You didn’t even fight back. Why didn’t you fight back?” Tony asked, eyes downcast and fixed on the sheets in his lap.

Steve sighed, “I didn’t want to hurt you, Tony. Not again. I did fight back, in Siberia, in my timeline and I never want to see you look like that again. I never want to be the reason you look like that.”

“That doesn’t mean I get a free pass here.” Tony insisted, “Because you think you deserve it on some level. You don’t.”

“It wasn’t you, Tony.”

Tony scoffed, “It was my hands. It was my punches. Your blood on my skin.”

“It was Wanda’s power. Her grief and her anger. It wasn’t you. I don’t blame you.” Steve told him, “I’d take a thousand hits for this second chance we have right here. I love you, Tony.”

“We’re both just punishing ourselves for the people we’re scared about being. You don’t want to be that guy who kicked my ass in a bunker in Siberia and I don’t want to be like my dad. Cold and a bully and have a love so toxic that shit like this is normal.” Tony sighed, “I’m going to the workshop, I need to think.”

Steve shook his head, “Please, Tony, please don’t shut me out.”

“I’m not.” Tony responded, getting up from the bed and making that distance between them greater, “I love you, Steve. I do. But I gotta work though this, I’m sorry.”

Tony left Steve sitting in the dim light of their bedroom having no idea what just happened but feeling more adrift than ever in this timeline.

-

He hadn’t gone looking for Wanda, really he hadn’t. He was trying to distract himself from going down to the workshop to talk to Tony but he knew that wouldn’t do any good. Whatever Tony was wrestling with, he needed to be the one to come to Steve when he was ready.

Steve wondered whether he was right. Whether they were both struggling with stopping themselves from becoming the people they were scared about being. Wasn’t that was this whole timeline had been about for Steve? A chance to change everything he had gotten so wrong last time?

He loved Tony, though. He’d loved him across timelines and past death. He had loved him in grief and rage and bloodshed. He had loved him when the sun burned and the planet was reduced to ash. He loved him when Tony could barely stand to look at him.

Steve knew the kind of person he was now, he was the man that would travel across alternate timelines for a chance to save the man he loved. He was the man who would do anything to protect his family. He was so far away from the idiot who left Tony Stark alone in a bunker.

That’s who he is.

And Tony was the further thing from Howard that Steve could imagine. He just needed Tony to come to that conclusion as well.

So when he walked into the kitchen for a glass of water to see Wanda sitting at the table with a coffee in her hands his first thought was to turn around and leave. Not that he was avoiding Wanda, he just wasn’t sure how to comfort the girl who had caused Tony a whole heap of new nightmares.

“What did T’Challa want?” She asked when she saw him, stirring her coffee gently, the conversation was awkward and stiff, like Wanda was having trouble with this as well.

Steve grabbed a glass from the cupboard as he spoke, “We’ve moved Bucky to Wakanda. T’Challa was just giving me an update.”

“Is he unfrozen?” She asked gently.

“Not yet.” Steve filled up his glass from the tap and took a small sip of water, “It won’t be for a while. Shuri thinks they should take it slow, there is a lot of work to do with all that Hydra mind control in his head before we wake him up. It’s okay, though. He would prefer that then to be out there hurting people.”

Apparently that gave Wanda her opening to talk about what was really on her mind, “I tried to apologise to Tony last night. I don’t think it went so well.”

“He’s understandably having a hard time since Wakanda.” Steve replied, taking another sip of water as he leaned back against the counter.

Wanda sighed, “I am sorry, Steve. I know it doesn’t mean anything but I had just lost everything. It’s not an excuse I know, but sometimes I can’t control it and it just builds up and explodes.”

“I thought it didn’t matter, what you did in Wakanda. I just needed my family together, that was all I was focused on but it matters Wanda. It matters and I can’t find a way to forgive you for hurting him like that. For using him like that.” Steve sighed, the words heavy in his chest, “I’ve made my mistakes, so many of them. I’ve hurt people and they’ve forgiven me but that took time. I had to earn it.”

Wanda nodded, “I want to earn it. I want to belong here, do better. I don’t know how.”

“You try. Every single day. To be better, to do better.” Steve told her, “You take that anger and grief and you channel it into something useful. Towards a bigger enemy.”

“Will Tony forgive me?” She asked.

Steve rubbed his brow, “I don’t know. That’s not for me to say. Tony is a very forgiving person, and maybe one day when he gets past this he’ll be able to forgive you. Maybe he won’t. What you did, it cut him deeper than you know, Wanda.”

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered, looking down at her hands in disgust.

Steve sighed, “I know.”

Because what else could he say?

-

Tony found him that evening in the gym, taking out his frustrations on the punching bag in front of him. A low whistle caught his attention mid swing and Steve immediately stopped his assault on the leather to turn around to face his fiancé.

Tony was leaning against the doorframe, grease smeared into his cheek and a sheepish expression on his face, “What did that bag ever do to you?”

Steve sighed, unwrapping his hands, “Look who’s out of the shop. Hungry?”

“No. Yes. But I want to talk to you first.” Tony stated and Steve could almost feel the knot in his stomach form.

He finished unwrapping his hands and led Tony over to the bench to sit down, Steve wanted to grab his hand but wasn’t sure if Tony would want him to so he kept them in his lap, “Firstly, I wanted to say I’m sorry.” Tony started, “I shut you out and I locked myself in my workshop and that wasn’t fair of me because this isn’t your fault.”

“Tony, it’s okay. I get that you needed space. I just hate seeing you struggling and not being able to do anything about it.” Steve sighed, “I thought I was doing the right thing by not fighting back. I didn’t want to hurt you and I didn’t care about myself but I should have realised how you would have reacted when you came back to yourself to see that.”

Tony sighed, “Seeing you like that, on the floor and bleeding because of me. Christ, Steve, you didn’t even look scared. You would have let me keep going if I hadn’t broken out of Wanda’s hold. I could have broken something or put you in hospital.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Steve replied, he grabbed Tony’s hand now, he couldn’t stand the distance between them anymore. “Wanda manipulated you. I’ve talked to her about it. She knows there is a long road to forgiveness here.”

Tony squeezed his hand, “I don’t care about Wanda right now. I care about me and you. Howard wasn’t a stellar father, and some nights he’d drink a little too much and my mom would be in the firing line, or I would be but she never fought back either. I don’t want us to be like that.”

Steve shook his head, “Tony, I need you to listen to me, okay? You are nothing like Howard. This wasn’t some domestic abuse situation. You didn’t want to hurt me, you had no control over it. Sure, we fight but we aren’t violent. I’d never hurt you, sweetheart, and you’d never hurt me. I need you to see that.”

“I do now.” Tony sighed, “I’ve spent my whole life looking for signs I was turning into Howard, okay? My intelligence, my drinking, my reformed playboy ways. That were all Howard traits. So when I saw you lying there after I hurt you….”

“You felt like you were turning into Howard?” Steve finished softly, trying to wrap his head around it.

Tony nodded, “I know it’s crazy because it was Wanda, not me. But it felt like me, and you just let me do it.”

“I let you do it because I know what it’s like to have the situation reversed, to be the one to see you lying there bleeding.” Steve sighed, “Maybe I was letting you do it to punish myself, but maybe it was because I couldn’t bear to hurt you. Not again. Tony, I would rather die than go through that again.”

“We’re both so messed up, you know that right?” Tony told him, lacing their fingers together, “This isn’t the romantic make up I was hoping for.”

Steve sighed, “So what do we do now?”

“What do you mean?” Tony asked gently.

“If you don’t want to marry me, I’ll understand.” Steve replied, “Us being together was never going to be smooth sailing.”

Tony shook his head, “So we hit a storm and you want to jump ship? God, that’s a terrible analogy. Scratch that. I love you, Steve, and I want to marry you. I’m sure about that. I just think maybe we both get some therapy first? Deal with our issues separately before we shove all our baggage into the same suitcase.”

“Therapy?”

“I need to let go of the Howard thing. You need to let go of the guilt. I want to give us our best chance at a healthy relationship because you can guarantee when I add your last name to mine I’m not changing it back.” Tony told him with a smile.

Steve laughed, “What if I wanted your last name?”

“Steve Stark?” Tony raised an eyebrow, “God no. Steve Stark-Rogers? That’s a name change I can support.”

“Tony Stark-Rogers.” Steve smiled, “It works.”

Tony smiled, “So therapy?”

Steve sighed and placed a kiss on his hand, “I’ll try it.” Steve promised, “I love you.”

Tony grabbed the hem of his sweaty shirt and brought him down for a kiss, “You need a shower.” He mumbled against Steve’s mouth but Steve ignored him in favour of bringing him closer.

-

Steve had been on a mission with Natasha and Sam when the news he was waiting for had arrived. It was almost a year after they had brought Wanda into the Avengers, but Steve had been waiting. He knew Thanos was coming soon or later and he told Tony they had to get ready. Tony agreed, updating his nanotech, making sure everyone else had suits and the best weapons he could invent. He was working himself to exhaustion, and he was trying to plan a wedding.

Steve’s texts throughout the day seemed to vary from things like: **Iron Spider suit? Or is that too much?** to things like: **Can I have more than one best man? Rhodey gets top spot but I want Peter there too.**

He’d always smile when texts about the wedding came through, eagerly agreeing to whatever Tony wanted. As long as they were getting married, Steve wouldn’t care if he had every single Avenger up at the alter with them. He hadn’t seen Tony in weeks, this mission was a long one and Steve was more than eager to get home.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, his hair was longer, and his beard had grown out whilst he was away, and he knew Tony would definitely have something to say about it when he saw it. The last time Steve had it this way, he was a fugitive on the run after he broke his team out of the raft. That was another timeline though.

It was Steve’s own fault he was away this long, as soon as the mission wrapped up, he had asked Sam to make a detour to recruit Scott for the Avengers. With Thanos coming, Steve wanted all their players on the board. He wasn’t about to leave anything to chance this time.

Scott had that same air of an excited puppy about him, his eyes wide when he noticed Steve’s uniform and Steve was half convinced that Scott actually thought his name was Captain America, but it was a familiar sight and Steve couldn’t help but smile.

“I just can’t believe it.” Scott was still babbling, “Captain America needs my help.”

Sam chuckled. “The world needs your help but yeah him too.”

Steve had pulled his phone out, about to text Tony and tell him he was coming home when the man in question popped up on the screen. Why was Tony calling him? They normally only texted when Steve was on a mission.

He frowned answering the call, “Tony?” There was silence on the end of the line, “Sweetheart?”

He heard a crashing sound and a mumbled, “Hang on!” From Tony because Steve heard a blast from the Iron Man repulsors.

His heart was in his mouth when Tony came back to him, “Hey honey, going to need some back up here. Please tell me you’re headed home.”

“What’s going on?” Steve demanded, Sam and Natasha turned to face him at the sound of his voice. Even Scott stopped talking.

Tony swore, “Some Asgardian chick dropped out of the sky, a present from Thor. Her name is Valkyrie, she’s awesome, Steve. Like badass chick kind of awesome.”

“Tony.”

“Some wizard came and got me, literally opened up a portal in the middle of the street and… it’s Thanos, Steve. Thanos is coming. His lackey is attacking us, he wants the stone the wizard is protecting. Jesus, does this sound a little Harry Potter to you?”

Steve swallowed, “Don’t let him get that stone, I’m coming. We’re close.”

“Friday will send our position to the jet. Hurry.” Tony replied before the line went dead.

Sam was waiting for his orders, “Take us home, Sam. Fast.”

The coordinates Friday gave them led them to Downtown New York, or what was left of it. There was a lot of smoke when they touched down, rubble and concrete everywhere. It was a hell of a fight.

“That’s bad right?” Scott asked.

Steve nodded, “That’s bad. This is big. We get to Tony; we protect the stone.” He ordered, “No second chances. We can’t let them get it.”

“You heard him.” Natasha nodded, “Let’s go to work.”

Out on the street was chaos, people were running in every direction. Cars were hurling past them and Steve had to dodge out the way. This was it, the start of the end. This is the moment where it counted. He had to get this right.

He tapped the comms in his ear, “Tony, do you copy?”

“What took you so long!” Tony shouted, out of breath but still teasing him.

“Where are you?”

Tony groaned, “Kid, that’s the Wizard get on it! We’re by the park, Peter’s here. We’re losing, Steve.”

Steve shook his head, already running, “No we’re not.”

He saw Spiderman in the sky, swinging from side to side as he chased after the piece of floating concrete that held Dr Strange. Tony was right on his heels, dodging everything that came his way.

“Sam, get up there. They need help.” Steve said and Sam just nodded, wings stretching out as he took off.

He looked over at Natasha, “We need to get under them, support them from the ground.”

She nodded and Scott followed behind them, he looked confused and couldn’t take his eyes off the visitors from outer space, but he seemed determined to help and for that Steve was grateful.

Peter had managed to get Strange away from Thanos’ guy, but they were both falling to the ground at an alarming rate. Steve was terrified, he was trying to think of a way he could break their fall when something else latched onto Peter.

Steve watched as the Iron Spider suit covered him, a parachute deploying instantly and breathed a sigh of relief. His genius was amazing.

“Tony, catch Strange!” Steve ordered over the comms and he saw Tony quickly dart in that direction to grab hold of their new friend.

Steve grabbed Peter as he fell, the parachute slowing him down enough for Steve to get him on the ground on his feet safely, “You okay, kid?”

“What the hell?” Peter was looking at his suit, “Is this? This suit is amazing. Mr Stark, this suit is awesome. It smells like a new car in here!”

Steve chuckled; Peter was clearly fine. Iron Man dropped down with Sam a few seconds later, dumping Strange on the ground less than gracefully, “Damn wizards.” He muttered, his eyes meeting Steve’s for the first time in weeks, “Sorry, have you seen my fiancé? He seems to have been replaced by a lumberjack.”

“I know, I need a shave.” Steve replied with a smile.

“Oh no, you need an intervention and maybe a lawn mower. What the hell is that thing? You leave me for a few weeks, and you get a depression beard?” Tony sassed, turning to Natasha, “You let him keep it?”

She shrugged, “Probably not the best time, we got incoming.”

Apparently, they weren’t giving Strange up without a fight.

Steve frowned, “Scott, Sam, Peter. Stay with Strange. If he gets through us, then he can’t get through you. Tony, Nat, we’re first defence. They get through us and we’ve got a big problem.”

“Then we won’t let them through us.” Tony replied, holding his arm out. An Iron Man shield projected out of the suit. Steve brought his own up with a smile.

Natasha grabbed the batons off her back and got ready.

“I won’t leave without that stone.” Thanos’ guy sighed.

Tony scoffed, “We won’t let you get it. Sorry, Squidward.”

Steve launched his shield, cutting ‘Squidward’s cheek before it came back to him. Then they were being hit with cars and parts of buildings, anything that Squidward could get his hands on. Natasha dived to the right to avoid being hit by a lamppost.

He threw the shield again, curving it so it hit its target. Thanos’ minion groaned, not expecting the hit. Steve took his moment of weakness, he turned to Tony then, on knee dropping to the ground like he was proposing as he raised his shield, “Full blast, don’t hold back.” He ordered.

Tony understood instantly, barely giving Natasha enough time to get behind them, so she wasn’t blinded before he aimed his repulsor at the shield. It bounced off the metal, directing it straight towards Thanos’ right hand man.

The force of it had Steve gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, “More!” He commanded over the sound. Tony used both hands then, bouncing them both off the shield with a yell. Everything the suit had was being amplified by the Vibranium in Steve’s shield and that power was being doubled when it reached their foe. He was screaming in pain but Tony and Steve didn’t let up. Not until they heard a bang and got splattered with goo.

Natasha wiped some off her cheek, “That’s disgusting.”

Steve stood up and Tony lifted up the faceplate, “Aliens go pop if you put them in a microwave, good to know.”

“Mr Stark, I think the wizard is waking up!” Peter called out.

They turned to see Sam help Dr Strange to his feet, one hand on his head, “What happened? The stone?”

Tony replied, “No thanks to you, he didn’t get it. He’s currently too busy being roadkill.”

“Thanos is coming.” Strange replied, “He’ll try again.”

“And we’ll be ready for him. You need to come with us for your own protection.” Steve told him.

Strange nodded, “I agree. This stone is the most important thing.”

“It’s not the only stone here though.” Natasha cut in.

Steve understood, “Vision. We have to get to the compound.”

“The Avengers compound?” Strange asked, “Absolutely not, that’s the first place Thanos will look.”

Peter frowned at him, “We can’t leave them there. If Thanos gets Vision’s stone then he’ll get stronger.”

“Okay look, you don’t get a vote.” Tony replied, talking to Strange, “You aren’t an Avenger.”

Scott raised his arm, “Technically, neither am I but for what’s it’s worth I think we need to get to this Vision guy before Thanos does.”

“Who are you?” Tony asked.

Scott stuttered, “Antman. Captain America recruited me this morning, Sir? Iron Man, Sir?”

Tony rolled his eyes, “We’re recruiting groupies now?”

“I’m Spiderman!” Peter said excitedly, “I didn’t know insect heroes were such a thing. That’s really cool. Mr Stark, that’s really cool.”

Tony looked over at Steve, “See what you’ve done? Now the kid’s attached and we gotta keep him.”

Steve smiled, “You love me.”

“Debatable.” Tony quipped, “I debated it, I do. Fine, Scott, you’re invited to our wedding. Happy now?”

It was Sam that spoke, “We might want to cut this getting to know you part of the programme short. We need to get to Vision.”

Steve nodded, “Nat, call Wanda. Tell her to expect company and put up all defences until we get there. We’re going to have another fight on our hands.”

-

By the time they made it to the compound there was already a fight breaking out. As Steve hurried off the jet with everyone else quick on his heels he could just about see Wanda and Vision running through the interior, the full length glass windows making them easy to spot as Wanda ran with an arm around Vision, taking most of his weight as she used her other hand to hurl her powers are the things chasing them.

Vision was injured, that much Steve could tell, he was moving slowly and it looked like Wanda was almost dragging him as they tried to put distance between them and Thanos’ minions. He ran without thinking, pure instinct driving him across the compound to get to Wanda and Vision. Tony and the others were right behind him.

When they made it to Wanda and Vision it was in the communal area of the compound. Vision was laying on the ground, his side bleeding and Wanda was standing in front of him, red mist curling down her hands and her eyes hard. She would have taken on everything Thanos sent her way to protect him, Steve knew, and that was something he understood.

Thanos’ minion, a female this time, coated in black war paint and just as friendly as Squidward had been threw her weapon at Wanda. A long staff, alien and deadly. Wanda dodged it as it sailed past her and Steve braced himself, catching it mid flight with gritted teeth and a steely determination. Wanda gasped when she saw them standing behind her, the relief in her smile told Steve she was happy to see them.

Steve threw the weapon back, the spear striking the alien on her right. It fell to the ground with a thud.

“You’ll pay for that.” She promised.

Tony raised his hand, “I don’t think so.”

The chaos that followed made Thanos’ minions easier to defeat than before. Peter was already flipping about, webbing them in the eyes and the legs to throw them off balance. Steve was using his shield to knock them to the ground. Tony and Wanda were making sure they didn’t get back up.

Steve smashed his shield into the neck of a particularly grizzly one, the black goo staining his shield before he threw it towards the alien that was on Peter’s trail. Tony hit it with his blasters and it dropped to the ground.

Just the female leader left.

Wanda was already on her, hitting her with blast after blast from her hands until the force of Wanda’s hits made her drop to her knees. It was Tony that managed to get a repulsor on her as Wanda stopped her from dodging. She exploded as goo coated the floor and the walls and Peter had to backflip to avoid the path of the spray.

Steve could barely hold back his sigh of relief. They had done it. She wouldn’t be leading the charge in Wakanda. Wanda was already back over Vision, helping him sit up with Sam.

“Captain.” Vision breathed out, his voice tight, “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Steve replied helping him to his feet. Wanda slung his arm over her shoulder to help support him.

Vision sighed, “I’m don’t think that’s true. They want the stone in my head. We cannot allow them to have it. We must destroy it.”

“Vis, no!” Wanda exclaimed, “You’ll die.”

“If we don’t do this then more people will die.” Vision told her softly, “You could do it, Wanda. Your powers are similar to the stone. I think it would be able to destroy it.”

She shook her head, “No. I’m not doing that.”

“She right, we don’t trade lives.” Steve cut in, “If we can get the stone out of your head then we can destroy it.”

It was a long shot, Steve knew, but if they managed to give Shuri more time to remove the stone than she had before maybe it could work. Maybe he could save Vision as well. He had to try.

Sam was the one who spoke, “Is that possible?”

“Maybe, Vision is a combination of a lot of things. The stone, me, Bruce, Jarvis. Everything he’s learned and become since then. If we find a way to remove the stone then there might be enough of Vision left for that to work.” Tony sighed, “I don’t know.”

“We have to try.” Wanda replied, her arms still around Vision.

Tony nodded, “I don’t have the kind of equipment we’d need for something like that. The number of neurons I’d have to disconnect to even attempt removing the stone…”

“Then we take him to Wakanda.” Steve cut in, “They have the technology we need there.”

Sam nodded, slipping another arm around Vision, “Then let’s go. We’ll take everyone with us. The wizard guy and the Ant guy too.”

“Get everyone on the jet.” Steve nodded, “We need to do this fast, Thanos will be here as soon as he realises no one is reporting back to him.”

Vision sighed, “If this doesn’t work, you need to destroy the stone. Regardless of whether it’s a part of me or not. Wanda, it shouldn’t have to be you but you’re the only one who can do this.”

“I can’t…” She shook her head.

“Promise me. If it comes to the universe or me. You pick the universe.”

Steve watched the torment in Wanda’s eyes, the weight of the thing Vision was asking her to do. “I promise.” She whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I promise.”

Steve sighed, his eyes searching for Tony then. Wanda was stronger than him, when faced with that same choice he’d picked Tony. He chosen to leave his world behind for a chance to save Tony, to be with him.

He knew this was it, this was the moment that everything could fall apart. If they failed against Thanos, if he got the stones and snapped his fingers then it was all over. His stomach dropped at the thought of losing Tony again. Losing him now after everything they shared. The love between them. All he had done so far by coming back here was give himself more to lose.

That fear rose up inside his chest the whole ride to Wakanda.

-

T’challa took the threat of an invasion in his stride, with the grace of the King. Wanda was with Vision in the lab, Shuri already getting to work on him. That was good, Thanos wasn’t here yet so they had managed to give Shuri more time. This had to work. T’Challa had gone to organise his own forces for the battle that was about to happen.

Steve had addressed the Avengers, “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen out there. But I do know we need to win. If Thanos gets his hands on either of those stones, it’s game over. For all of us. We can’t let that happen. Wanda and Bruce, you guys stay with Vision. As soon as Shuri gets that stone out of his head, you blow it to hell.”

“I will.” Wanda replied with grit.

“Strange, you can’t be in the field either. Too much of a target, Thanos will go straight for you. Clint, you and Peter protect him. Nothing gets past you. I’ll circle round for support if it gets too close.” Steve went on, knowing Tony would want Peter as far from the battle as possible.

“Got it, Cap.” Clint nodded.

Steve looked over at everyone else, “Whoever’s left. If you’re on the ground you take your orders from me. If you’re in the air you listen to Tony. We get one shot at this. We’re the last line of defence. The only line of defence. We keep them busy, keep the fight on us. As soon as Wanda destroys that stone it’s game over, he can’t win.”

“That’s not enough.” Tony cut in, “We can’t just leave it to one stone, if he gets the others it could still be enough to do damage. We need to get the gauntlet off him, get it to Wanda. She can destroy all the stones.”

Steve smiled, “You’re right. We get that gauntlet off. Wanda, can you do it?”

“I think so. If you can buy me the time.” She nodded.

“You’ll have it.”

Peter raised his hand then, a little unsure and nervous, “Sorry, but when we get the stones. Destroy them we still have to deal with Thanos.”

Steve nodded, “We’ll have help for that.”

“You called back up?” Sam asked, “You know more superheroes than this?”

“Thor will be there. We have to hold Thanos off until he gets there. He has a weapon that can kill Thanos.” Steve explained.

Dr Strange frowned, “And you just happen to know this?”

“Trust me, he knows.” Tony responded for him.

-

Everyone was off getting ready for the battle they all knew was coming. Steve had asked T’Challa for a place he could freshen up a bit, splashing water on his face to get rid of the goo and dust on his forehead felt normal. Wiping a hand through the hair on his jaw didn’t but there was no time to deal with that now.

Tony found him soon enough, slipping into the bathroom Steve was occupying with ease and a smirk. He was back in his own clothes for now, the suit ready to go in the nanotech arc reactor on his chest. He smiled when he saw Steve, “You know I think the beard is growing on me.” He teased as he closed the door and leaned his back against the counter.

Steve smiled, his hands on either side of the tub, “You want me to keep it for the wedding?”

“God no, I want to be able to kiss you at the alter without having to worry about beard burn.” Tony laughed, easy and hopeful.

Steve couldn’t help but reach out a hand to lace their fingers together, drawing strength from Tony, “I can’t wait to marry you.” He sighed gently.

“I’ve been thinking Wakanda might be a good wedding venue, something simple and on the downlow. I didn’t think you’d want to do the whole press and their mothers thing on our wedding day.” Tony replied.

“Do you?”

He laughed, “Absolutely not. Think T’Challa would do the ceremony?”

Steve smiled at the thought, “Probably. He’d probably appreciate a time we come here and don’t crash the place.”

“That’s true.” Tony chuckled.

Steve couldn’t hide around it anymore, “If this doesn’t work…”

“It will.” Tony insisted, “You crossed timelines to be here, Steve. I’m not letting a purple grape stop me from marrying you. I have the best wedding present for you, too. You’re going to love it.”

“Tony, this is the fight of our lives.”

“I know that. I know what’s at stake here but we’re together this time. It’s all going to work out.” Tony smiled softly, pulling Steve closer to him by wrapping his arms around Steve’s neck.

Steve let him, hands easily finding their spot on Tony’s waist, “I don’t know what I’m going to do if I lose you, Tony. I can’t go through that again. Not now, not after this.”

Tony kissed him, hard and quickly before pulling back, “Stop.”

“I don’t know what to do without you.” Steve whispered in the space between them, “I’m not as good at anything unless I’m doing it next to you, Tony.”

Tony kissed him again, the heartbreak in Tony’s eyes only seemed to reflect his own. Steve met his lips furiously, devouring everything Tony gave him and still demanding more. He invaded Tony’s mouth with his tongue, swallowing the moan Tony gave him. His hands were gripping Tony’s hips just a little too tightly as he held him against the counter. The desperation in his kisses was evident even to Steve.

An attempt to cling onto everything that seemed at risk of slipping through his fingers. Tony’s fingers were in his hair, pulling him back so he could breathe. Steve didn’t move far, his lips sucking at Tony’s neck instead.

“Steve…” Tony breathed out, “We don’t have time.”

That wasn’t the answer Steve wanted to hear as he growled into Tony’s neck, “We make time. I need you.”

He dropped to his knees then, leaving Tony standing against the bathroom counter with his hands gripping the marble behind him as Steve worked his pants open.

“Fuck… you’ve got me. You have me.” Tony mumbled, his eyes slipping closed as Steve continued his administrations eagerly.

-

When Thanos arrived, they were ready. All the Avengers, T’Challa’s men and fellow tribes standing on one side of the field with Thanos and his army on the other. Steve felt the weight of the moment on his chest but Tony was right beside him, suit enclosed around his body and ready to fight for this timeline they had created together.

Thanos almost seemed surprised as he walked closer to them, an unbreakable unit of strength. Vision was still with Shuri but she assured them she was about halfway to having that stone out of his head. Dr Strange was also in the palace, Peter and Clint having a clear view of the battle just in case things went south and they needed to get Strange out of there.

“You are in Wakanda now!” T’Challa shouted, “There will be nothing but dust and blood.”

Thanos nodded, grim determination in his features, “So be it.”

“Avengers Assemble!” Steve called out and he led the charge against Thanos’ forces. Tony was already in the air doing the same thing.

The fight of their lives had just begun.

Steve knew he wouldn’t be able to keep eyes on Tony the whole time, but that didn’t stop him from searching for the genius whenever he could spare a glance. He threw his shield and punched his way through Thanos’ army like a blind man. It was all instinct. Survive. Get to Thanos. Don’t fail him this time.

They were being overwhelmed; Steve knew that. Even with the extra forces this time round, Thanos had the numbers. But they had the edge, they had a plan. They just had to wait it out, slow him down.

“Wanda, how’s it coming?” Steve grunted into the comms as he killed another enemy with his shield.

“We need a little more time.” She responded.

Steve hit out his shield again, curving a path that knocked down three different aliens. One of which was against Natasha. She nodded at him before returning around to hit another one advancing towards her.

“Steve, I see Thanos, he’s heading towards Dr Strange.” Tony’s voice came over the comms, “We need to get that gauntlet now.”

He was knocked to the ground by an attack from behind and Steve grunted into the dirt, he turned and kicked the thing off him for Sam to shoot from the sky, “I’m on my way.” He said into the comms before getting back to his feet.

Thanos was hard to miss, a giant amongst everyone else on the field. Except maybe Antman who was currently huge and getting to take on Thanos, head to head. Tony was already there, shooting his repulsors from the air until Thanos knocked him down to the ground.

Steve winced and ran, he needed to get there. He approached from behind, sliding down to grab at the gauntlet on Thanos’ arm. The titan didn’t seem to like that very much, trying to crush Steve underneath him. Steve held his own, using every ounce of serum to hold Thanos’ arm up.

Then Tony was there, pulling at the glove along with him, both of them shouting with the effort to get it to move. It barely moved. Thanos kicked them both backwards, hands letting go of the glove.

Steve groaned; he could feel the blood dripping down his chin. Tony probably wasn’t fairing much better. “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to need help.” Steve gritted out.

“On it!” Tony responded, “Bruce, get angry and get in the field. Pete, sorry kid but I need you too.”

Steve was back on his feet to see Thanos and Scott still going hand to hand, “Scott, distract him.” Steve commanded.

“I’m trying. He’s really strong!” Scott shouted back, punching Thanos in the jaw.

A crackle of the comms in Steve’s ear made him pause, “Steve, it’s out. Vision’s okay. The stone is out.”

“Destroy it. We’ll bring you the rest.” Steve ordered, looking over at Tony with a nod. This was working, they could do this.

“On it.” Wanda responded into the comms.

Steve charged at Thanos again, rolling under his hand to grab onto the gauntlet. Tony was right behind him, grabbing the other side and used the thrusters in the suit to keep himself upright. Thanos was strong, fighting them every second.

“Scott, get behind him. Hold him steady!” Tony called out, his voice tense as he held the glove for dear life.

Scott dodged a swing from Thanos’ fist, spinning behind him to hold him in a headlock. Thanos yelled, free hand coming up to try and throw Scott off.

“I can’t hold him.” Scott shouted, wrapping both arms around him before Thanos threw him off.

The roar of the hulk made them all stop as Bruce flung himself at Thanos, punching him repeatedly and allowing Scott a chance to get back into position and hold the titan still. Peter came swinging in then, using the tree branches for leverage as he webbed Thanos’ eyes to stop him from seeing. One the second swing, Peter aimed for his legs, webbing them together as Thanos swayed to try and keep upright.

He was on the ground with them in seconds, helping to pull at the gauntlet with everything he had.

“Hurry up, this won’t hold him!” Scott shouted at them as Thanos wiggled in his hold.

Steve gritted his teeth, working the glove off his hand with Tony and Peter. It was coming, he could feel it slipping down his hand.

“A little more.” He grunted out, pulling until his arms hurt and they felt like they might be ripped from his shoulders.

The gauntlet released with a pop, sending Steve, Tony and Peter reeling backwards into the dirt with the force. Without them holding Thanos, he managed to rip the hulk off of him, throwing him to the ground. Scott was next, Thanos flipping him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Pete, get the gauntlet to Wanda. She needs to destroy the stones. We got this, go!” Tony shouted, helping the boy to his feet and shoving him away from them.

Steve nodded at him, “Hurry.” Before we turned to Thanos again.

He felt Peter swing off, the rush of wind at his back telling him the boy was on his way. They had just to make sure he got there.

Thanos was beyond angry now, smashing into Steve with his fist the second he got close enough. Steve was sent to the dirt again. Tony dodged the first fist, flying into the air but Thanos caught him. He crushed the armour under his hands, stripping Tony’s suit away piece by piece until his face and black t-shirt were free from the casing. There was blood on Tony’s brow, and sweat on his face but his eyes were looking at Steve.

“No!” Steve shouted, getting to his feet despite the pain and effort it took to do so. He charged again, jamming his shield into the back of Thanos’ knee. He pushed the metal in harder, using everything he had until Thanos screamed out in pain and dropped Tony to the ground in a heap.

That’s when the lightening came. A flash that dominated the sky and the battlefield, everyone stopped to look at what was happening. Thor stood in the middle of the burned-out patch of grass, axe in his hand and the Guardians by his side.

Steve could help but smile, the relief at seeing his friend too much to ignore.

“Bring me Thanos!” Thor cried out, barrelling straight for them.

Steve rolled out the way, his shield still embedded into Thanos’ knee as Tony hit him with another blast to keep him busy. Thor was there in seconds, swinging the axe towards Thanos with hate in his eyes and lightening in his veins.

Steve heard Peter’s voice in his ear, “I can’t make it. These things keep coming!”

“T’Challa?” Steve asked into the comms.

“I see him,” He confirmed, “I’ll get it to Wanda. Kill him.”

Tony had received an energy boost from Thor, aiming his repulsors at Thanos and knocking the Titan backwards. They had to finish this. Steve slipping back into the fight, his hands going for Thanos’ arm, pulling it tightly.

Tony realised what he was doing, going for the other arm to do the same. Thanos struggled but was trapped between them, “Thor, don’t miss!” Steve called out to the God.

Thor chuckled, “I never miss.” He swung the axe down with all his might.

Thanos’ head rolled to the ground, landing next to the unconscious Scott who had shrunk back to his normal size. His body fell forward when Steve and Tony let go, falling into the dirt where it didn’t move.

They had done it.

“What happened?” Scott asked groggily as he came back round, his eyes wide seeing Thanos’ head next to him and he scrambled backwards.

Steve looked at Tony, smiling wide, “We won.”

“Captain, we’ve not done yet!” T’Challa shouted through comms, “There are a lot of enemies between this gauntlet and Wanda.”

“I’m coming to you.” Wanda replied.

Steve could see the clouds of red before he saw her, Wanda was using her powers to wipe out as many enemies as she could see, picking a path to T’Challa and the gauntlet.

Thor raised his axe, lighting up the sky and bringing it back down again. Whatever enemies Wanda had missed, Thor made sure to reduce to dust. Steve watched as they exploded before his eyes. Natasha’s opponent vanished in front of her and she went to help Sam to his feet. Peter’s head poked up in relief when he realised he was no longer being attacked.

They had done it.

Steve felt Tony slip a hand into his, “Let’s go and make sure she fries those stones to hell.” He suggested.

Steve couldn’t agree more.

-

Steve Rogers married Tony Stark on a Tuesday, about three weeks after the Battle of Wakanda. T’Challa allowed them to have the wedding in the Palace and agreed to conduct the ceremony much to Steve’s delight.

They got married at sunset, because it was Tony’s favourite time of day and they walked down the aisle together, hands laced as they prepared to tie themselves to each other for the rest of their lives. Rhodey and Peter stood next to Tony at the altar, Sam and Thor stood beside Steve as they said their vows in matching tuxes and all their friends crowded into T’Challa’s home. Bucky had been unfrozen that morning but was too weak to make it to the ceremony, he was still having trouble with seeing Steve as the enemy and as his best friend so Shuri thought it was best to keep him under lab observation for the moment. He was awake though and one step closer to being back in Steve’s life.

When Steve slipped the ring onto Tony’s finger, he couldn’t help but lean down and kiss the back of his hand for good measure. Tony returned the gesture when he placed the same band on Steve’s hand.

They had done it. Everyone had survived. That was Steve’s thought as he pulled his new husband towards him for their kiss.

We have what we have when we have it.

And Steve had this. This family. Tony. This second chance.

What more could he want?

He found Tony on the balcony during the reception, having snuck away a few minutes earlier to avoid another of Thor’s drunken stories of victory. Tony was watching the sky, the sun starting the set and fade from orange to black. He was still in his tux, his hair a mess of brown and a smile on his face.

“Not having second thoughts I hope.” Steve joked as he approached his husband, hands coming to rest next to Tony’s on the railing of the balcony.

“None,” Tony assured him, “Just savouring this.”

He leaned into Steve and the blond wrapped an arm around him to bring him closer, “This moment?”

“I think it’s my favourite so far.” Tony hummed, “No battles, no enemies. Just this, us. A future.”

Steve nodded, “You know what will make it my favourite moment?”

“What?”

He grabbed Tony’s hands, moving him away from the balcony to bring him closer into Steve’s hold, “Dance with me?”

Tony smiled, one hand slipping up to Steve’s shoulder whilst the other tangled their fingers firmly together, “Better?”

Steve swayed them gently, his head resting against Tony’s and he sighed happily, “Much.”

They stayed like that for a bit, turning slowly and swaying to nothing but perfectly content to be in each other’s arms, “Wait, I forgot.” Tony pulled back, reaching into the pocket of his jacket to retrieve a piece of paper. He presented it to Steve, “Your wedding present.”

“You didn’t need to get me anything.” Steve insisted, unfolding the paper to read what was written on it. He frowned, “This lists a property sale in Brooklyn?”

“Our property.” Tony explained, “Five bedrooms. Three bathrooms. Amazing garden. A garage. Plenty of room for an art studio or a gym. A bedroom for Peter if he ever needs it.”

Steve smiled, “You brought us a house?”

“What do you say? Want to get domestic with me? Try out some of that normal life thing I’ve heard so much about?” Tony asked with a smile.

“Yes.” Steve kissed him, “Absolutely yes. But what about the team?”

Tony sighed, “They’re in hand goods. The Avengers are well looked after besides we can always go back if we need to. If we want to. I’ll still be building Iron Man suits until I’m old and grey but this is me wanting to build something else as well. A future, with you.”

Steve placed another kiss on his lips, “I’d like that.” He whispered, “But really? Five bedrooms?”

Tony laughed, “I’m just being prepared for all the strays you bring home.”

“I love you.” Steve said softly, slipping the paper into his pocket so he could use his free hands to pull Tony against him, “Thank you for giving me a home.”

“Thank you for giving me one first.” Tony smiled, leaning up to kiss him. He pulled back just short of Steve’s lips, “I love you too, by the way.” He said, “Just so you know…” Steve pulled him back in, joining his lips to his husbands as he savoured the weight of this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally finished! How the MCU should have gone this whole time (well at least in my head anyway!) I hope you enjoyed it and would love to here your thoughts and comments down below :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it. Updates will be regular as this story is already written up and waiting. Please feel free to leave a review to let me know your thoughts and favourite bits! :) I love chatting all things Stony to people!


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